The Heart

-1- Traditional African Clinic November/December 2012
African Traditional Herbal Research Clinic

Volume 7, Issue 12 NEWSLETTER November/December 2012
THE HEART /

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E
3 Afrikan Spirituality The Shabaka Text
4 Feature Six Sounds to Heal and Cure, The Heart Sound
6 Feature The Heart has its own Brain and Consciousness
8 Feature Heart and Circulatory System
14 Cesium Connection to Heart Disease
18 Study finds Stain Drugs Accelerate Hardening of the Arteries
19 Feature The Calcium Supplement Problem
21 Electrolytes of Significance in Heart Functioning
25 Confront Salt Confusion
30 Feature - Heart Disease Beyond the Stent & Bypass
37 Ulcer Causing Bacteria associated with Heart Disease
41 Feature- Radiation Exposure and Heart Attacks - Fukushima
50 Heavy Metals and their Link to Heart Disease
51 Feature Kemetic Medicine
55 The Ancient Egyptian Heart
57 Feature Phytochemicals and Cardiovascular Disease
60 Can Dietary Flavonoids influence Development of CHD
69 Feature - Towards an Africology of Knowledge Production
84 Tuberculosis is 500,000 Years Old
85 Where is Your Heart?
86 Herbs of the Month Garlic & More
Artificial Jellyfish Engineered
Out of Rat Heart Muscles
By John Roach
NBC News
July 24, 2012

Colorized image of the tissue-engineered jellyfish,
"swimming" in a container of ocean-like saltwater.
Dubbed "Medusoid," the bioengineered construct is
made from silicone rubber and powered by lab-grown
heart tissue. It was built in a proof-of-concept study at
Caltech and Harvard for designing muscular pumps for
biomedical applications.

What is the African Traditional
Herbal Research Clinic?
We can make you healthy and wise
Nakato Lewis
Blackherbals at the Source of the Nile, UG Ltd.

The African Traditional Herbal Research Clinic located
in Ntinda, Uganda is a modern clinic facility
established to create a model space whereby
indigenous herbal practitioners and healers can upgrade
and update their skills through training and certification
and respond to common diseases using African healing
methods and traditions in a modern clinical
environment.
Traditional healers are the major health labor resource
in Africa as a whole. In Uganda, indigenous traditional
healers are the only source of health services for the
majority of the population. An estimated 80% of the
population receives its health education and health care
from practitioners of traditional medicine. They are
knowledgeable of the culture, the local languages and
local traditions. Our purpose is to raise public
awareness and understanding on the value of African
traditional herbal medicine and other healing practices
in todays world.
The Clinic is open and operational. Some of the
services we offer are African herbal medicine,
reflexology, acupressure, hot and cold hydrotherapy,
body massage, herbal tonics, patient counseling, blood
pressure checks, urine testing (sugar), and nutritional
profiles. We believe in spirit, mind and body. Spiritual
counseling upon request.
Visit us also at www.Blackherbals.com
Hours: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday thru Friday
Saturday by Appointment, Sundays Closed

Continued on page 2

Scientists have made an artificial jellyfish out of rat heart
muscles and rubbery silicon. When given an electric
shock, it swims just like the real thing.
Future versions should be able to swim and feed by
themselves.
That then allows us to extend their lifetime, John
Dabiri, a professor of aeronautics and bioengineering at
the California Institute of Technology, told me.
The breakthrough is a big step toward the development of
an artificial human heart with living cells. It also opens a
window to a future where humans could loosen the
constraints of evolution.
The design of the heart that we have today is by no
means the best physically possible design, Dabiri said.
It is the one that evolution stumbled onto over the course
of millions of years of random searching.
Its possible, perhaps probable, that theres a better
design out there for humans to discover. An artificial
heart, for example, could be engineered to steer clear of
heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S.
Building a better pump
To get there, though, scientists must first understand how
biology assembles its building blocks into a pump, Dabiri
noted.
We know pretty well how to build engineered pumps,
things that are built out of steel and aluminum and so on,
he said. We dont have as good a handle right now in
biology on how nature builds things out of muscle
tissues.
To start, they looked to the jellyfish, an example of a
simple biological pump, and tried to build it in the lab
from scratch.
Jellyfish essentially have two parts: muscle cells that
squeeze down on the body, pushing out water and jetting
the animal the opposite way, and elastic stretchy tissue
(the jelly) that gently recovers to its relaxed shape after
each pump. In our engineered system, we needed to
have these two components, Dabiri explained.
The team could have used jellyfish tissue and jellyfish
muscle, but it so happens that the building blocks we are
more familiar with in tissue engineering come from the
heart cells of rats, he said.
The technique was pioneered by Kevin Kit Parker, a
bioengineer at Harvard and co-author of a paper
describing the artificial jellyfish published today in the
journal Nature Biotechnology.
It allows researchers to take rat heart cells and pattern them
in different shapes and sizes that act as actuators things
that can move, they can pump, they can flap, Dabiri said.
For the jelly part, the team used a thin layer of silicone
rubber.
Putting together the pieces
The next step was to put the two pieces together in the best
possible way to get a functioning jellyfish. Instead of
simply copying nature, the team tried out all kinds of
muscle patterns, looking for the best.
As engineers in this process of building artificial jellyfish,
we simply dont have the same constraints that evolution
does, Dabiri said.
These organisms, as they evolve, have to worry about
fending off predators, catching their prey, reproducing. All
we have to do is show up in a lab and try to be creative.
So, it is a very different set of constraints that we have in
terms of developing this, and so it is not surprising that we
might find solutions that are different from what might
have come through evolution.
In the end, the team settled on a muscle arrangement that is
similar to that of the jellyfish, but not a carbon copy,
Dabiri said.
When the team put the engineered jellyfish into a pool of
ionized water and sent an electric signal through the water,
the fish swam like a real jellyfish.
We havent yet developed an internal pacemaking system
within these artificial jellyfish, so the way that we control
the functioning is, we shock them, Dabiri explained.
Future of jellyfish and hearts
An internal pacemaker mechanism and chemical receptors
that act as a nose to sniff out food are additions planned for
future versions of the jellyfish, called Medusoid, to give it
greater autonomy.
This might raise science-fiction fears of giant artificial
jellyfish roaming the waters note that theres another
group working on robotic jellyfish that will never run out of
energy. But in reality, the main application for the
technology would be in biomedicine. Even in its current
form, Medusoid could be used to test the effect drugs have
on the pumping mechanism of a heart, for example.
In the future, the research may lead to an artificial heart.
One, perhaps, that is better than a healthy human heart. And
if we can engineer better hearts, will we stop there? Does
this open the door to a completely rebuilt and improved
human?
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/artificial-
jellyfish-engineered-out-rat-heart-muscles-899197

Contd from page 1- Artificial Jellyfish engineered out of
Rat Heart Muscles

AFRI KAN SPI RI TUALI TY
The Shabaka Text
The living Horus; Who prospers the Two Lands; the Two
Ladies: Who prospers the Two Lands; the Golden Horus:
Who prospers the Two Lands; King of Upper and Lower
Egypt: Neferkare; the Son of Re: Sha[baka], beloved of
Ptah-South-of-his-Wall, who lives like Re forever.
This writing was copied out anew by his majesty in the
house of his father Ptah-South-of-his-Wall, for his majesty
found it to be a work of the ancestors which was worm-
eaten, so that it could not be understood from the beginning
to end. His majesty copied it anew so that it became better
than it had been before, in order that his name might endure
and his monument last in the House of his father Ptah-
South-of-his-Wall throughout eternity, as a work done by
the son of Re [Shabaka] for his father Ptah-Tatenen, so that
he might live forever.
/// [King of Upper and Lower Egypt] is this Ptah, who is
called the great name: [Ta-te]nen [South-of-his-Wall, Lord
of eternity] ///. /// [the joiner] of Upper and Lower Egypt is
he, this uniter who arose as king of Upper Egypt and arose
as king of Lower Egypt. /// /// "self-begotten," so says
Atum: "who created the Nine Gods."
[Geb, lord of the gods, commanded] that the Nine Gods
gather to him. He judged between Horus and Seth; he
ended their quarrel. He made Seth the king of Upper Egypt
in the land of Upper Egypt, up to the place in which he was
born, which is Su. And Geb made Horus King of Lower
Egypt in the land of Lower Egypt, up to the place in which
his father was drowned which is "Division-of-the-Two-
Lands." Thus Horus stood over one region, and Seth stood
over one region. They made peace over the Two Lands at
Ayan. That was the division of the Two Lands.
Geb's words to Seth: "Go to the place in which you were
born."
Seth: Upper Egypt.
Geb's words to Horus: "Go to the place in which your
father was drowned."
Horus: Lower Egypt.
Geb's words to Horus and Seth: "I have separated you."
/// Lower and Upper Egypt.
Then it seemed wrong to Geb that the portion of Horus was
like the portion of Seth. So Geb gave Horus his inheritance,
--------------------------
Managing Editor: Nakato Lewis
PUBLISHER: KIWANUKA LEWIS
Published monthly and freely by BHSN for the ATHR Clinic
http://www.blackherbals.com/athrc_newsletters.htm

The traditional shrine as a symbol of our cultural history

for he is the son of his firstborn son.
Geb's words to the Nine Gods: "I have appointed
Horus, the firstborn."
Geb's words to the Nine Gods: "Him alone, Horus,
the inheritance."
Geb's words to the Nine Gods: "To his heir, Horus,
my inheritance."
Geb's words to the Nine Gods: "To the son of my
son, Horus, the Jackal of Upper Egypt /// Geb's
words to the Nine Gods: "The firstborn, Horus, the
Opener-of-the-ways."
Geb's words to the Nine Gods: "The son who was
born /// Horus, on the Birthday of the Opener-of-
the-ways."
Then Horus stood over the land. He is the uniter of
this land, proclaimed in the great name: Ta-tenen,
South-of-his-Wall, Lord of Eternity. Then sprouted
the two Great Magicians upon his head. He is
Horus who arose as king of Upper and Lower
Egypt, who united the Two Lands in the Nome of
the Wall, the place in which the Two Lands were
united.
Reed and papyrus were placed on the double door
of the House of Ptah. That means Horus and Seth,
pacified and united. They fraternized so as to cease
quarrelling in whatever place they might be, being
united in the House of Ptah, the "Balance of the
Two Lands" in which Upper and Lower Egypt had
been weighed.
This is the land ////// the burial of Osiris in the
House of Sokar. ////// Isis and Nephthys without
delay, for Osiris had drowned in his water. Isis
[and Nephthys] looked out, [beheld him and
attended to him]. Horus speaks to Isis and
Nephthys: "Hurry, grasp him ///."
Isis and Nephthys speak to Osiris: "We come, we
take you ///."
Continued on page 77
FEATURED ARTICLES
Six Sounds to Heal and Cure: Sound Four, The Heart
Sound
By Richard Stossel
February 10, 2009

These sounds not only assisted them while fighting, but
seemed to help them recover more rapidly from
illnesses and injuries.
The Chinese discovered long ago that when a person
was diagnosed with an illness whose origin was found
to be rooted in a particular organ, that the sounds of
distress that they made (whimpering/moaning) were the
same for all people regardless of their spoken language.
It was from these observations that a system of healing
sounds was eventually formulated called "The Six
Syllable Secret" or "Six Healing Sounds".
Whatever name we give it, this system is one that is
designed to help purge the body of excess fire chi that
can accumulate in the organs on a daily basis. It was
found that if two people had a weakness in a certain
organ and one practiced the healing sound for that
organ, that person recovered much faster than the one
who did not practice the healing sound.
In previous installments in this series we covered the
first three of these healing sounds for the lungs, kidneys
and liver. The links for each of those articles are listed
below.
The lung sound
http://www.naturalnews.com/025014.html
The kidney sound
The liver sound
The next sound that we are going to cover is one that
the author hopes will benefit a huge number of people
due to the ever increasing amount of heart disease that
is occurring in the world today.
This sound can be of great assistance in helping to
purge the heart of excess fire energies. The high levels
of emotional stress that people are under today place a
great deal of strain on the heart, which in turn causes a
Continued on page 5

(NaturalNews) In this continuing series on "The Six
Healing Sounds", we are going to go cover the fourth of
these sounds and one that is very important in this
modern age, the heart sound.
Many of us know that sounds can have a powerful effect
on our minds and emotions. Listening to relaxing music
has been shown to cause a healing response in plants,
animals and humans. Loud discordant music has been
shown to have the opposite effect. Plants exposed to this
type of music live shorter lives and actually produce less
nutritious fruit and seeds than those exposed to softer,
more flowing music. These types of disruptive sounds
can have a negative effect on the human body. The heart
is particularly sensitive to these types of disruptive
sounds.
Animals in nature often use sound in a number of ways,
including helping them communicate over great
distances, navigate, avoid obstacles in their path and
assist them in locating prey. This is especially true in the
case of bats, which may be nearly visually blind but are
able to zero in on flying insects in mid flight due to the
accuracy of their sonar.
Recently discovered evidence shows one of the reasons
that cats purr is because they`re helping to cleanse their
bodies of excess carbon dioxide and aberrant energies.
The Taoist and Shaolin monks of China and many other
cultures have also realized how powerful various sounds
can be. They use chanting not only to calm and clear the
mind but to greatly energize various organ systems for
increased mind/body control, health and longevity.
Many techniques like this actually came from the
observance of animals. The martial artists of China are
famous for many and varied animal styles of fighting
such as tiger, crane, snake, eagle claw and hundreds of
others. They learned these fighting styles from watching
animals in their natural habitat and how they fought with
other animals. They also noticed that each animal made
certain sounds when fighting, when sick or at rest.


Continued from page 4 Six Sounds to Heal and Cure, The
Heart Sound
buildup of fire chi and further weakens this vital organ.
These stressors have a number of origins including
sedentary lifestyles, poor diet, emotional and mental
stress, and lack of sleep to name a few.
When autopsies are performed on people that have died
of heart disease it is very often reported that their hearts
looked as though they had been cooked from the inside.
This is in perfect accordance with the Chinese view of
heart disease being a disease of excess fire energy.
The heart sound can go a long way in helping to remove
stress from this vital organ. It has even been known to
help prevent second hearts attacks.
In Chinese medicine, each organ is linked with another
organ which is its yin or yang counterpart and helps
balance out its energy. For example: the linked organ for
the heart is the small intestine. The heart is the yang
(fire) organ and the small intestine is the yin (water)
organ. Another example is the stomach/spleen
relationship where the stomach is the yang and the
spleen is yin. Since the small intestine is linked with the
heart in that paired organ system anything that greatly
stresses one organ will also have an associative and often
opposite effect on its linked pair. Chinese doctors use
these relationships and laws to effectively heal and cure
all kinds of diseases and illnesses.
This heart/small intestine relationship is one of the main
reasons why overeating can often cause heartburn or
possibly even heart attack. The small intestine is directly
involved in the digestion process and when an excessive
amount of food is consumed at one time, too much chi is
drained from the small intestine. This can cause a serious
weakening of the organ which often causes the chi in its
paired organ (the heart) to flare up and become too yang.
When this happens you may end up with an excess of
fire energy in the heart. If the heart is not strong enough
to handle this excess fire chi, heartburn, arrhythmias or
heart attack can be the result.
This pairing of yin and yang organs helps to keep the
energies of each organ in balance. When there is a strong
fluctuation of chi in one organ there is often an opposite
effect on its paired organ. The body is naturally designed
this way so that paired organs naturally keep each other
in balance. The six healing sounds can be a powerful and
effective technique to help assist the body in this natural
balancing act by making sure that no organ has too much
fire chi at any one time.
This is especially important in the case of the heart. The
pericardium which is the sac that surrounds the heart
helps to protect it from excess fire chi and any stray
electrical charges. This sac is so important and critical
that it is given its own special designation in Chinese
medicine.
Some other information about the heart is as follows; the
element of the heart is fire, its season is summer; its
negative emotions are impatience, arrogance, cruelty and
violence. Some of its positive emotions are joy, honor,
sincerity, creativity, spirit and light. The color associated
with the heart is red and one of its external body parts is
the tongue.
The Heart Sound
To perform the heart sound, we are going to first take a
few deep breaths, then close the eyes and become aware
of the heart. After a few breaths you can begin making
the heart sound by tilting the head back and while looking
up, open the mouth and make the sound
HAWWWWWWWWWWWW upon exhalation. At the
same time you should also visualize the pericardium,
which is the sack that surrounds the heart, releasing heat,
impatience and arrogance upon the exhalation.
Remember that the sound should be made softly or even
"sub vocally" which is characterized by movement of the
lips or other speech organs without making audible
sounds. The sound of the heart sound is similar to the
"HAW" in the work Hawk.
Take a short rest between each repetition by taking a few
normal breaths and, keeping the eyes closed, visualize a
bright red color along with the qualities of joy, sincerity,
honor and creativity, coming into the heart with each
inhalation. This is an important step, so do not skip it.
Practice the heart sound 3-6 times. If you have a sore
throat, cold sores, swollen gums or tongue, heart disease,
heart pains, or you are experiencing moodiness or
jumpiness, then perform this exercise from 9 to 36 times.
Even for someone who is in very good health, practicing
the six healing sounds on a daily basis will have a
noticeable improvement in mood, energy, mental clarity
and health. For those who are trying to overcome various
illnesses and diseases these sounds can be a powerful and
invaluable tool to help cleanse impure energies and
matter from the body.
Since the body is constantly converting toxic matter to
gases for expulsion through the respiratory system, these
sounds greatly assist in this cleansing process. They
accelerate the removal of carbon dioxide, toxins,
pollutants and negative energies out of the system more
efficiently than during normal respiration. One thing to
keep in mind when performing these sounds is not to do
them for at least 30 minutes after a meal.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025681_Chi_healing_health.html

FEATURED ARTICLES
The Heart Has Its Own Brain and
Consciousness
Waking Times
12 September 2012

Many believe that conscious awareness originates in
the brain alone. Recent scientific research suggests that
consciousness actually emerges from the brain and
body acting together. A growing body of evidence
suggests that the heart plays a particularly significant
role in this process.
Far more than a simple pump, as was once believed,
the heart is now recognized by scientists as a highly
complex system with its own functional brain.
Research in the new discipline of neurocardiology
shows that the heart is a sensory organ and a
sophisticated center for receiving and processing
information. The nervous system within the heart (or
heart brain) enables it to learn, remember, and make
functional decisions independent of the brains cerebral
cortex. Moreover, numerous experiments have
demonstrated that the signals the heart continuously
sends to the brain influence the function of higher brain
centers involved in perception, cognition, and
emotional processing.
In addition to the extensive neural communication
network linking the heart with the brain and body, the
heart also communicates information to the brain and
throughout the body via electromagnetic field
interactions. The heart generates the bodys most
powerful and most extensive rhythmic electromagnetic
field. Compared to the electromagnetic field produced
by the brain, the electrical component of the hearts
field is about 60 times greater in amplitude, and
permeates every cell in the body. The magnetic
component is approximately 5000 times stronger than
the brains magnetic field and can be detected several
feet away from the body with sensitive magnetometers.
The heart generates a continuous series of
electromagnetic pulses in which the time interval
between each beat varies in a dynamic and complex
manner. The hearts ever-present rhythmic field has a
powerful influence on processes throughout the body.
We have demonstrated, for example, that brain rhythms
naturally synchronize to the hearts rhythmic activity,
and also that during sustained feelings of love or
appreciation, the blood pressure and respiratory
rhythms, among other oscillatory systems, entrain to the
hearts rhythm.
We propose that the hearts field acts as a carrier
wave for information that provides a global
synchronizing signal for the entire body. Specifically,
we suggest that as pulsing waves of energy radiate out
from the heart, they interact with organs and other
structures. The waves encode or record the features and
dynamic activity of these structures in patterns of energy
waveforms that are distributed throughout the body. In
this way, the encoded information acts to in-form
(literally, give shape to) the activity of all bodily
functionsto coordinate and synchronize processes in
the body as a whole. This perspective requires an
energetic concept of information, in which patterns of
organization are enfolded into waves of energy of
system activity distributed throughout the system as a
whole.
Basic research at the Institute of HeartMath shows that
information pertaining to a persons emotional state is
also communicated throughout the body via the hearts
electromagnetic field. The rhythmic beating patterns of
the heart change significantly as we experience different
emotions. Negative emotions, such as anger or
frustration, are associated with an erratic, disordered,
incoherent pattern in the hearts rhythms. In contrast,
positive emotions, such as love or appreciation, are
associated with a smooth, ordered, coherent pattern in
the hearts rhythmic activity. In turn, these changes in
the hearts beating patterns create corresponding
changes in the structure of the electromagnetic field
radiated by the heart, measurable by a technique called
spectral analysis.
Continued on page 7


Continued from page 6 The Heart Has Its Own Brain
and Consciousness
More specifically, we have demonstrated that sustained
positive emotions appear to give rise to a distinct mode
of functioning, which we call psychophysiological
coherence. During this mode, heart rhythms exhibit a
sine wave-like pattern and the hearts electromagnetic
field becomes correspondingly more organized.
At the physiological level, this mode is characterized by
increased efficiency and harmony in the activity and
interactions of the bodys systems. [1]
Psychologically, this mode is linked with a notable
reduction in internal mental dialogue, reduced
perceptions of stress, increased emotional balance, and
enhanced mental clarity, intuitive discernment, and
cognitive performance.
In sum, our research suggests that psychophysiological
coherence is important in enhancing consciousnessboth
for the bodys sensory awareness of the information
required to execute and coordinate physiological
function, and also to optimize emotional stability, mental
function, and intentional action. Furthermore, as we see
next, there is experimental evidence that
psychophysiological coherence may increase our
awareness of and sensitivity to others around us. The
Institute of HeartMath has created practical technologies
and tools that all people can use to increase coherence.
Heart Field Interactions Between Individuals
Most people think of social communication solely in
terms of overt signals expressed through language, voice
qualities, gestures, facial expressions, and body
movements. However, there is now evidence that a subtle
yet influential electromagnetic or energetic
communication system operates just below our conscious
awareness. Energetic interactions likely contribute to the
magnetic attractions or repulsions that occur between
individuals, and also affect social exchanges and
relationships. Moreover, it appears that the hearts field
plays an important role in communicating physiological,
psychological, and social information between
individuals.
Experiments conducted at the Institute of HeartMath have
found remarkable evidence that the hearts
electromagnetic field can transmit information between
people. We have been able to measure an exchange of
heart energy between individuals up to 5 feet apart. We
have also found that one persons brain waves can
actually synchronize to another persons heart.
Furthermore, when an individual is generating a coherent
heart rhythm, synchronization between that persons
brain waves and another persons heartbeat is more likely
to occur. These findings have intriguing implications,
suggesting that individuals in a psychophysiologically
coherent state become more aware of the information
encoded in the heart fields of those around them.
The results of these experiments have led us to infer
that the nervous system acts as an antenna, which is
tuned to and responds to the electromagnetic fields
produced by the hearts of other individuals. We believe
this capacity for exchange of energetic information is an
innate ability that heightens awareness and mediates
important aspects of true empathy and sensitivity to
others Furthermore, we have observed that this energetic
communication ability can be intentionally enhanced,
producing a much deeper level of nonverbal
communication, understanding, and connection between
people. There is also intriguing evidence that heart field
interactions can occur between people and animals.
In short, energetic communication via the heart field
facilitates development of an expanded consciousness in
relation to our social world.
The Hearts Field and Intuition
There are also new data suggesting that the hearts field is
directly involved in intuitive perception, through its
coupling to an energetic information field outside the
bounds of space and time. Using a rigorous experimental
design, we found compelling evidence that both the heart
and brain receive and respond to information about a
future event before the event actually happens. Even
more surprising was our finding that the heart appears to
receive this intuitive information before the brain. This
suggests that the hearts field may be linked to a more
subtle energetic field that contains information on objects
and events remote in space or ahead in time. Called by
Karl Pribram and others the spectral domain, this is a
fundamental order of potential energy that enfolds space
and time, and is thought to be the basis for our
consciousness of the whole. (See heartmath.org for
further detail.)
Social Fields
In the same way that the heart generates energy in the
body, we propose that the social collective is the activator
and regulator of the energy in social systems.
A body of groundbreaking work shows how the field of
socioemotional interaction between a mother and her
infant is essential to brain development, the emergence of
consciousness, and the formation of a healthy self-
concept. These interactions are organized along two
relational dimensionsstimulation of the babys
emotions, and regulation of shared emotional energy.
Together they form a socioemotional field through which
enormous quantities of psychobiological and psycho-
social information are exchanged. Coherent organization

Volume7, Issue 12 NEWSLETTER November/December 2012
FEATURED ARTICLES
Heart and Circulatory System
Reviewed by Steven Dowshen, MD
May 2010
KidsHealth.Org

and left atria receive the blood entering the heart. A wall
called the interatrial septum divides the right and left
atria, which are separated from the ventricles by the
atrioventricular valves. The tricuspid valve separates the
right atrium from the right ventricle, and the mitral valve
separates the left atrium and the left ventricle.

Two other cardiac valves separate the ventricles and the
large blood vessels that carry blood leaving the heart.
These are the pulmonic valve, which separates the right
ventricle from the pulmonary artery leading to the lungs,
and the aortic valve, which separates the left ventricle
from the aorta, the body's largest blood vessel.
Arteries carry blood away from the heart. They are the
thickest blood vessels, with muscular walls that contract
to keep the blood moving away from the heart and
through the body. In the systemic circulation, oxygen-
rich blood is pumped from the heart into the aorta. This
Continued on page 9
With each heartbeat, blood is sent throughout our
bodies, carrying oxygen and nutrients to every cell.
Each day, 2,000 gallons of blood travel many times
through about 60,000 miles of blood vessels that branch
and cross, linking the cells of our organs and body parts
About the Heart and Circulatory System
The circulatory system is composed of the heart and
blood vessels, including arteries, veins, and capillaries.
Our bodies actually have two circulatory systems: The
pulmonary circulation is a short loop from the heart to
the lungs and back again, and the systemic circulation
(the system we usually think of as our circulatory
system) sends blood from the heart to all the other parts
of our bodies and back again.
The heart is the key organ in the circulatory system. As
a hollow, muscular pump, its main function is to propel
blood throughout the body. It usually beats from 60 to
100 times per minute, but can go much faster when
necessary. It beats about 100,000 times a day, more
than 30 million times per year, and about 2.5 billion
times in a 70-year lifetime.
The heart gets messages from the body that tell it when
to pump more or less blood depending on an
individual's needs. When we're sleeping, it pumps just
enough to provide for the lower amounts of oxygen
needed by our bodies at rest. When we're exercising or
frightened, the heart pumps faster to increase the
delivery of oxygen.
The heart has four chambers that are enclosed by thick,
muscular walls. It lies between the lungs and just to the
left of the middle of the chest cavity. The bottom part
of the heart is divided into two chambers called the
right and left ventricles, which pump blood out of the
heart. A wall called the interventricular septum divides
the ventricles.
The upper part of the heart is made up of the other two
chambers of the heart, the right and left atria. The right

Continued from page 8 Heart and Circulatory System
huge artery curves up and back from the left ventricle,
then heads down in front of the spinal column into the
abdomen. Two coronary arteries branch off at the
beginning of the aorta and divide into a network of
smaller arteries that provide oxygen and nourishment to
the muscles of the heart.
Unlike the aorta, the body's other main artery, the
pulmonary artery, carries oxygen-poor blood. From the
right ventricle, the pulmonary artery divides into right
and left branches, on the way to the lungs where blood
picks up oxygen.
Arterial walls have three layers:
1. The endothelium is on the inside and provides a
smooth lining for blood to flow over as it moves
through the artery.
2. The media is the middle part of the artery, made
up of a layer of muscle and elastic tissue.
3. The adventitia is the tough covering that
protects the outside of the artery.
As they get farther from the heart, the arteries branch out
into arterioles, which are smaller and less elastic.
Veins carry blood back to the heart. They're not as
muscular as arteries, but they contain valves that prevent
blood from flowing backward. Veins have the same
three layers that arteries do, but are thinner and less
flexible. The two largest veins are the superior and
inferior vena cavae. The terms superior and inferior don't
mean that one vein is better than the other, but that
they're located above and below the heart.
A network of tiny capillaries connects the arteries and
veins. Though tiny, the capillaries are one of the most
important parts of the circulatory system because it's
through them that nutrients and oxygen are delivered to
the cells. In addition, waste products such as carbon
dioxide are also removed by the capillaries.
What the Heart and Circulatory System Do
The circulatory system works closely with other systems
in our bodies. It supplies oxygen and nutrients to our
bodies by working with the respiratory system. At the
same time, the circulatory system helps carry waste and
carbon dioxide out of the body.
Hormones produced by the endocrine system are
also transported through the blood in the circulatory
system. As the body's chemical messengers, hormones
transfer information and instructions from one set of
cells to another. For example, one of the hormones
produced by the heart helps control the kidneys' release
of salt from the body.
One complete heartbeat makes up a cardiac cycle, which
consists of two phases:
1. In the first phase, the ventricles contract (this is
called systole), sending blood into the pulmonary
and systemic circulation. To prevent the flow of
blood backwards into the atria during systole, the
atrioventricular valves close, creating the first
sound (the lub). When the ventricles finish
contracting, the aortic and pulmonary valves close
to prevent blood from flowing back into the
ventricles. This is what creates the second sound
(the dub).
2. Then the ventricles relax (this is called diastole)
and fill with blood from the atria, which makes up
the second phase of the cardiac cycle.
A unique electrical conduction system in the heart causes it
to beat in its regular rhythm. The sinoatrial or SA node, a
small area of tissue in the wall of the right atrium, sends out
an electrical signal to start the contracting of the heart
muscle. This node is called the pacemaker of the heart
because it sets the rate of the heartbeat and causes the rest
of the heart to contract in its rhythm.
These electrical impulses cause the atria to contract first,
and then travel down to the atrioventricular or AV node,
which acts as a kind of relay station. From here the
electrical signal travels through the right and left ventricles,
causing them to contract and forcing blood out into the
major arteries.
In the systemic circulation, blood travels out of the left
ventricle, to the aorta, to every organ and tissue in the body,
and then back to the right atrium. The arteries, capillaries,
and veins of the systemic circulatory system are the
channels through which this long journey takes place.
Once in the arteries, blood flows to smaller arterioles and
then to capillaries. While in the capillaries, the bloodstream
delivers oxygen and nutrients to the body's cells and picks
up waste materials. Blood then goes back through the
capillaries into venules, and then to larger veins until it
reaches the vena cavae.
Blood from the head and arms returns to the heart through
the superior vena cava, and blood from the lower parts of
the body returns through the inferior vena cava. Both vena
cavae deliver this oxygen-depleted blood into the right
atrium. From here the blood exits to fill the right ventricle,
ready to be pumped into the pulmonary circulation for more
oxygen.
In the pulmonary circulation, blood low in oxygen but high
in carbon dioxide is pumped out the right ventricle into the


pulmonary artery, which branches off in two directions.
The right branch goes to the right lung, and vice versa.
In the lungs, the branches divide further into capillaries.
Blood flows more slowly through these tiny vessels,
allowing time for gases to be exchanged between the
capillary walls and the millions of alveoli, the tiny air
sacs in the lungs.
During the process called oxygenation, oxygen is taken
up by the bloodstream. Oxygen locks onto a molecule
called hemoglobin in the red blood cells. The newly
oxygenated blood leaves the lungs through the pulmonary
veins and heads back to the heart. It enters the heart in the
left atrium, then fills the left ventricle so it can be
pumped into the systemic circulation.
Problems of the Heart and Circulatory System
Problems with the cardiovascular system are common
more than 64 million Americans have some type of
cardiac problem. But cardiovascular problems don't just
affect older people many heart and circulatory system
problems affect children and teens, too.
Heart and circulatory problems are grouped into two
categories: congenital (problems present at birth) and
acquired (problems developed some time after birth).
Congenital heart defects. These abnormalities in the
heart's structure are present at birth. Approximately 8 out
of every 1,000 newborns have congenital heart defects
ranging from mild to severe. These defects occur while
the fetus is developing in the mother's uterus and it's not
usually known why they occur. Some congenital heart
defects are caused by genetic disorders, but most are not.
What all congenital heart defects have in common,
however, is that they involve abnormal or incomplete
development of the heart.
A common sign of a congenital heart defect is a heart
murmur an abnormal sound (like a blowing or
whooshing sound) that's heard when listening to the
heart. Usually a heart murmur is detected by a doctor
who's listening to the heart with a stethoscope during a
routine exam. Murmurs are very common in children and
can be caused by congenital heart defects or other heart
conditions.
Arrhythmia. Cardiac arrhythmias, also called
dysrhythmias or rhythm disorders, are problems in the
rhythm of the heartbeat. They may be caused by a
congenital heart defect or they may be acquired later. An
arrhythmia may cause the heart's rhythm to be irregular,
abnormally fast, or abnormally slow. Arrhythmias can
occur at any age and may be discovered during a routine
physical examination. Depending on the type of rhythm
disorder, an arrhythmia may be treated with medication,
surgery, or pacemakers.
Cardiomyopathy. This chronic disease causes the heart
muscle (the myocardium) to become weakened. Usually,
it first affects the lower chambers of the heart, the
ventricles, and then progresses and damages the muscle
cells and even the tissues surrounding the heart. In its
most severe forms, it can lead to heart failure and even
death. Cardiomyopathy is the #1 reason for heart
transplants in children.
Coronary artery disease. The most common heart
disorder in adults, coronary artery disease is caused by
atherosclerosis. Deposits of fat, calcium, and dead cells,
called atherosclerotic plaques, form on the inner walls of
the coronary arteries (the blood vessels that supply the
heart) and interfere with the smooth flow of blood. Blood
flow to the heart muscle may even stop if a thrombus, or
clot, forms in a coronary vessel, which may cause a heart
attack. In a heart attack (or myocardial infarction), the
heart muscle becomes damaged by lack of oxygen, and
unless blood flow returns within minutes, muscle damage
increases and the heart's ability to pump blood is
compromised. If the clot can be dissolved within a few
hours, damage to the heart can be reduced. Heart attacks
are rare in kids and teens.
Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol). Cholesterol is
a waxy substance that's found in the body's cells, in the
blood, and in some foods. Having too much cholesterol in
the blood, also known as hypercholesterolemia, is a major
risk factor for heart disease and can lead to a heart attack.
Cholesterol is carried in the bloodstream by lipoproteins.
Two kinds low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-
density lipoproteins (HDL) are the most important.
High levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol)
increase a person's risk for heart disease and stroke,
whereas high levels of HDL cholesterol (the good
cholesterol) can protect against these.
A blood test can indicate if someone's cholesterol is too
high. A child's cholesterol level is borderline if it's 170 to
199 mg/dL, and it's considered high if it's above 200
mg/dL. About 10% of teens between 12 and 19 have high
cholesterol levels that put them at increased risk of
cardiovascular disease.
High blood pressure (hypertension). Over time, high
blood pressure can damage the heart, arteries, and other
body organs. Symptoms can include headache, nose
bleeds, dizziness, and lightheadedness. Infants, kids, and
teens can have high blood pressure, which may be caused
by genetic factors, excess body weight, diet, lack of


exercise, and diseases such as heart disease or kidney
disease.
Kawasaki disease. Also known as mucocutaneous lymph
node syndrome, Kawasaki disease affects the mucous
membranes (the lining of the mouth and breathing
passages), the skin, and the lymph nodes (part of the
immune system). It can also lead to vasculitis, an
inflammation of the blood vessels. This can affect all
major arteries in the body including the coronary
arteries. It can also cause inflammation of the heart
muscle, called myocarditis. When coronary arteries
become inflamed, a child can develop aneurysms, which
are weakened and bulging spots on the walls of arteries.
This increases the risk of a blood clot forming in this
weakened area, which can block the artery, possibly
leading to a heart attack. In addition to the coronary
arteries, the heart muscle, lining, valves, or the outer
membrane that surrounds the heart can become inflamed.
Arrhythmias or abnormal functioning of some heart
valves can occur. Kawasaki disease has surpassed
rheumatic fever as the leading cause of acquired heart
disease in children in the United States.
Rheumatic heart disease. Usually the complication of
an untreated strep throat infection, rheumatic fever can
lead to permanent heart damage and even death. Most
common in kids between 5 and 15 years of age, it begins
when antibodies the body produces to fight the strep
infection begin to attack other parts of the body. They
react to tissues in the heart valves as though they were the
strep bacteria and cause the heart valves to thicken and
scar. Inflammation and weakening of the heart muscle
may also occur. Usually, when strep throat infections are
promptly treated with antibiotics, this condition can be
avoided.
Stroke. Strokes occur when the blood supply to the brain
is cut off or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts and
spills blood into an area of the brain, causing damage to
brain cells. Children or infants who have experienced
stroke may be suddenly numb or weak, especially on one
side of the body, and they may experience a sudden
severe headache, nausea or vomiting, and difficulty
seeing, speaking, walking, or moving. During childhood,
strokes are rare.
Getting plenty of exercise, eating a nutritious diet,
maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular medical
checkups are the best ways to help keep the heart healthy
and avoid long-term problems like high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, and heart disease.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body_basics/heart.html#

Continued from page 7- The Heart Has Its Own Brain and
Consciousness
of the mother-child relations that make up this field is
critical. This occurs when interactions are charged, most
importantly, with positive emotions (love, joy, happiness,
excitement, appreciation, etc.), and are patterned as highly
synchronized, reciprocal exchanges between these two
individuals. These patterns are imprinted in the childs
brain and thus influence psychosocial function throughout
life. (See Allan Schore, Affect Regulation and the Origin of
the Self.)
Moreover in a longitudinal study of 46 social groups, one
of us (RTB) documented how information about the
global organization of a groupthe groups collective
consciousnessappears to be transmitted to all members
by an energetic field of socio-emotional connection. Data
on the relationships between each pair of members was
found to provide an accurate image of the social structure
of the group as a whole. Coherent organization of the
groups social structure is associated with a network of
positively charged emotions (love, excitement, and
optimism) connecting all members. This network of
positive emotions appears to constitute a field of energetic
connection into which information about the groups social
structure is encoded and distributed throughout the group.
Remarkably, an accurate picture of the groups overall
social structure was obtained from information only about
relationships between pairs of individuals. We believe the
only way this is possible is if information about the
organization of the whole group is distributed to all
members of the group via an energetic field. Such
correspondence in information between parts and the whole
is consistent with the principle of holographic organization.
[2]
Synthesis and Implications
Some organizing features of the heart field, identified in
numerous studies at HeartMath, may also be shared by
those of our hypothesized social field. Each is a field of
energy in which the waveforms of energy encode the
features of objects and events as energy moves throughout
the system. This creates a nonlocal order of energetic
information in which each location in the field contains an
enfolded image of the organization of the whole system at
that moment. The organization and processing of
information in these energy fields can best be understood in
terms of quantum holographic principles. [3]
Another commonality is the role of positive emotions, such
as love and appreciation, in generating coherence both in
the heart field and in social fields. When the movement of
energy is intentionally regulated to form a coherent,
harmonious order, information integrity and flow are


Continued from page 11 The Heart Has Its Own Brain
and Consciousness
optimized. This, in turn, produces stable,effective system
function, which enhances health, psychosocial well-
being, and intentional action in the individual or social
group.
Heart coherence and social coherence may also act to
mutually reinforce each other. As individuals within a
group increase psychophysiological coherence, psycho-
social attunement may be increased, thereby increasing
the coherence of social relations. Similarly, the creation
of a coherent social field by a group may help support the
generation and maintenance of psychophysiological
coherence in its individual members. An expanded,
deepened awareness and consciousness resultsof the
bodys internal physiological, emotional, and mental
processes, and also of the deeper, latent orders enfolded
into the energy fields that surround us.
This is the basis of self-awareness, social sensitivity,
creativity, intuition, spiritual insight, and understanding
of ourselves and all that we are connected to.
It is through the intentional generation of coherence in
both heart and social fields that a critical shift to the next
level of planetary consciousness can occurone that
brings us into harmony with the movement of the whole.
Footnotes
1. Correlates of physiological coherence include:
increased synchronization between the two branches of
the autonomic nervous system, a shift in autonomic
balance toward increased parasympathetic activity,
increased heart-brain synchronization, increased vascular
resonance, and entrainment between diverse
physiological oscillatory systems.
2. Holographic organization is based on a field concept of
order, in which information about the organization of an
object as a whole is encoded as an interference pattern in
energy waveforms distributed throughout the field. This
makes it possible to retrieve information about the object
as a whole from any location within the field.
3. The term quantum, as used in quantum holography,
does not mean that this kind of energetic information
processing is understood in terms of the principles of
quantum physics. Rather, quantum holography is a
special, nondeterministic form of holographic
organization based on a discrete unit of energetic
information called a logon or a quantum of
information.
http://www.wakingtimes.com/2012/09/12/the-heart-has-its-
own-brain-and-consciousness/

Heart of Genetically Modified
Pig 'successfully transplanted
into Monkey', South Korea
Scientists claim
By Nick Enoch
26 June 2012
The heart of a genetically modified pig has been
successfully transplanted into a monkey, according to
scientists in South Korea.
It is the first time the country has claimed to have
accomplished such an inter-species operation
Known as xenotransplantation, it is seen by some as a way
to end the chronic shortage of human organs available for
transplants.

Before the controversial procedure, conducted in Seoul, the
cloned pig had its genes responsible for immune rejection
removed.
The ultimate aim of such experimentation would be to put
pig hearts and other swine organs into humans.
And the South Koreans believe this could become a
commercially viable reality within five years.
The first known transplant of a genetically engineered pig
heart in a primate was performed in 1994. But the
possibility of animal-to-human operations has divided the
medical ethics community.


Continued from page 12 Heart of genetically modified pig
'successfully transplanted into monkey'
Medical ethicist Associate Professor Nicholas Tonti-
Filippini, speaking in 2010, said such transplants had the
potential to bring animal diseases into the human
population.

PIG + MONKEY = HOPE FOR DIABETICS
In 2009, Israeli scientists transplanted embryonic
pancreatic tissue from pigs to monkeys to combat
Type 1 Diabetes.
As a result, the researchers were able to reverse the
primate's insulin deficiency, MIT reported.
They said the key to their breakthrough was the
embryonic tissue's ability to grow into a new pancreas
that uses blood vessels from the host animal.
The host blood vessels are not subject to the risky
immune reaction that has always impeded
xenotransplants of mature pancreatic material.
Yair Reisner of the Weizmann Institute, who led the
research, claimed that the results, published in the
journal PNAS, could offer a viable replacement
therapy for sufferers of type 1 diabetes, which destroys
the pancreas.

He said the creation of genetically modified pigs was not
ethically acceptable, explaining: 'It is basically a human-
pig, a hybrid, or whatever you want to call it.
'It is about whether the community is prepared to accept a
part human, part animal.'
South Korean scientists first claimed to have cloned a
piglet whose organs were genetically modified to make
them more suitable for human transplants in 2009.
Lead scientist Lim Gio-Bin said the cloned piglet, born
on April 3, had been genetically altered to lack the 'alpha-
gal' gene which triggers tissue rejection, according to
PhysOrg.
He said his government-sponsored team, involving
scientists from four universities and two research
institutes, used stem cells of smaller-than-normal pigs to
clone 'mini-pigs' with modified genes.
Immuno-rejection has been a major hurdle in human
organ transplants. Pig organs are well suited for
transplantation but are coated with sugar molecules that
trigger acute rejection in human bodies.
Human antibodies attach themselves to such molecules
and quickly destroy the transplanted pig organ.
In cloning a pig called Xeno, the scientist said his team
adopted almost identical technology to that used by U.S.
scientists in 2002 to create cloned piglets, in which one
copy of the sugar-producing gene was 'knocked out'.
An organism receives two copies of a gene, one from the
mother and one from the father. Scientists have tried to
produce pigs lacking both copies, so far unsuccessfully.
'Through our achievement, South Korea became the second
country in the world to clone such piglets after the United
States,' Lim said at the time.
Lim said then that his team would conduct clinical trials on
humans in 2012 and he believed genetically modified mini-
pigs could be used commercially around 2017.
Two years ago, Australian scientists kept pig lungs alive
and functioning with human blood.
The breakthrough came after scientists at Melbourne's St
Vincent's Hospital were able to remove a section of pig
DNA which made the pig organs incompatible with human
blood.
Prof Tony D'Apice - who had been breeding pigs for
possible transplants since 1989 - said human DNA was
added to the engineered animals to control blood clotting
and rejection in humans.
Dr Glenn Westall, from the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne,
said the world-first discovery meant pig-human lung
transplants were a real prospect.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2164964/South-Korea-
scientists-successfully-transplant-heart-genetically-modified-pig-
monkey.html

Antidepressants Could Make
Your Brain Bleed, Cause
Hemorrhagic Strokes
By Lisa Garber
October 20, 2012
Natural Society
Thickened arteries, heart disease, depression, suicide, and
now, we can add bleeding of the brain to the long list of
side effects of antidepressants. Though the risk is
admittedly very small, researchers declared on Wednesday
that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may
raise the risk of hemorrhagic strokes, which happen when
the brain bleeds.
SSRIs include a wide variety of common antidepressents,
including Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and Paxil. These drugs


Continued from page 13 Antidepressants Could Make Your
Brain Bleed Cause Hemorrhagic Strokes
are also linked to an increased risk of stomach bleeding.
Platelets Cant Clot, Hemorrhage
After analyzing 16 previous studies involving over
500,000 patients, researchers determined that SSRI users
were 40 to 50 percent more likely to suffer bleeding of or
around the brain. The researchers were not, however, able
to collect other relevant data, like subjects smoking and
drinking habits, diet, and whether they had diabetes.
Their findings were published in the journal Neurology.
Although lead researcher Dr. Daniel G. Hackam of
Western University in London, Ontario says that we
cant infer cause and effect from this, it isnt exactly an
unreasonable association. Blood cells (platelets) have
difficulty clumping and clotting in the presence of SSRIs,
causing the patients platelet function to stumble soon
after taking SSRIs. This may be why patients experienced
the greatest risk of hemorrhage within the first few
months of taking the drugs.
People already at risk of brain hemorrhage would do well
to stay away from SSRIs, Hackam added, as well as those
on medications that reduce clotting like Coumadin or an
aspirin-Plavix combination.
Psychiatrists and Financial Conflicts of Interest
Its worth noting that Hackam also says that these drugs
are, overall, quite safe. Perhaps hes neglected to
look at the Emory University School of Medicines
findings that antidepressants thickened arteries 400
percent more than aging, which is the foremost
factor of athersclerosis. Still other studies indicate
that Cymbalta and other antidepressants cause 1 in 5
patients to feel worse than when administered place-
bos.
Why, then, are so many patients treated with
powerful psychotactive drugs instead of a personalized
combination of vitamin D, probiotis, diet, acupuncture,
yoga, and other natural remedies? Perhaps because 70
percent of panel members to the 5
th
editionof the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
have financial ties to pharmaceutical companies.
http://www.blacklistednews.com/Antidepressants_Could_Make
_Your_Brain_Bleed%2c_Cause_Hemorrhagic_Strokes/22106/
0/38/38/Y/M.html

Cesium Connection to Heart
Disease, Japan Reports 14%
Increase
July 28, 2012
HNN Staff
The Japanese health ministry has revealed a 14% increase
in cardiac deaths between February 2011 and February
2012. At least some scientists, link the cause to cesium
radiation emitted from the Fukushima melt downs. Health ,
Labor and Welfare Ministry reported:
The number of deaths was up 12.5 percent
(=12695 people) compared to the same month of
the year before
The number of deaths caused by Malignant
Neoplasm was up 7.7% (=2066 people) from the
same month of the year before
The number caused by cardiac disease was up
14.6% (=2585 people)
According to a translation posted by Energy News, Dr.
Yury Bandazhevsky of Belarus examined the people
exposed to radiation and the people who had died of
Chernobyl and clinically identified the association between
Cesium radiation and cardiac disease.
[...] "We cant either determine or deny the morbidity and
mortality increased only because of radiation released from
Fukushima Daiichi," the scientist said, adding that a study
needs to be undertaken to determine the linkage, if any,
between exposure and cardiac deaths.
http://www.huntingtonnews.net/39866

The 'New AIDS of the
Americas': Experts warn of
Deadly Insect-borne Disease
that can cause Victims' Hearts
to Explode
29 May 2012
MailOnline

A little-known life-threatening illness caused by blood
sucking insects has been labelled the new AIDS of the
Americas by experts. The parasitic illness called Chagas
Disease has similarities to the early spread of HIV,
according to a new study. Continued on page 15


Continued from page 14 The 'New AIDS of the Americas'
Similar to AIDS, Chagas is difficult to detect and it can
take years for symptoms to emerge, according to experts
writing in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical
Diseases.

The new AIDS? A parasitic illness called Chagas disease has
been dubbed the 'new AIDS of the Americas' by experts. It is
usually transmitted from the bite of blood-sucking insect
species called Triatome bugs, which include 'Kissing bugs'
(Triatomids)

The disease - once largely contained to Latin America -
has spread into the U.S due to increases in travel and
immigration.
The Dangerous Spread of Chagas Disease
Named after the Brazilian doctor who discovered it in
1909, Chagas disease is a potentially deadly illness
spread by blood-sucking insects including Triatomids
most commonly known as 'kissing bugs.'
Like AIDS, the illness is difficult to detect and has a
long remission period.
It spreads easily through blood transfusions and from
mother to child.
Approximately a quarter of victims who contract the
disease develop enlarged heart or intestines that can
burst causing sudden death.
An estimated 10 million people worldwide are infected,
including 30,000 people in the U.S.
Chagas is considered one of the Neglected Parasitic
Infections, a group of five parasitic diseases that have
been targeted by CDC for public health action.
It is estimated that in 2008 Chagas disease killed more
than 10,000 people.
Due to the severity of the illness, the amount of people
infected and the ability of prevention, Chagas is
considered one of the Neglected Parasitic Infections, a
group of five parasitic diseases that have been targeted
by CDC for public health action.

Chagas commonly affects people in poverty-stricken
areas and most U.S. cases are found in immigrants.
If caught early enough, the disease can be prevented with
an intense 3-month drug treatment.
However, because of the lengthy incubation period and
costly medication, Chagas is often left untreated.
Also known as the American trypanosomiasis, the
disease spreads easily either through blood transfusions
or, less commonly, from mother to child.
All blood banks in the U.S. and Latin America screen for
traces of the disease. Most blood banks in the U.S began
screening for it in 2007.
Chagas is usually transmitted from the bite of blood-
sucking insect species called Triatome bugs which
release a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi into the
victim's bloodstream.
The species includes Triatomids - black wingless beetles
about 20mm in length commonly known as 'kissing
bugs'. Their closest relative is the Tsetse fly, found in
Africa, which spread Sleeping Sickness (where the
victim's brain swells).
Chagas disease comes in two phases - acute and severe.
The acute phase may have no symptoms but can present
a fever, general feeling of being unwell and swelling in
one eye.

Victim: Charles Darwin may have contracted the disease as he
travelled the globe on HMS Beagle in his 20s
After the acute phase the disease goes into remission and
it can take years before symptoms, such as constipation,
abdomen pain and digestive problems, emerge again in
the severe stage.
The parasite can eventually make its way to the heart,
where it can live and multiply.
Continued to page 16


About a quarter of the people who contract Chagas,
develop enlarged heart or intestines that can burst
causing sudden death.
Although the drugs available are not as expensive as
those for AIDS, there are shortages of the medication in
poorer countries and little money is being spent on
discovering new treatments.
Chagas disease is named after Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano
Chagas, a Brazilian doctor who first discovered the
disease in 1909.
Researchers from the University of Maryland School of
Medicine said last year that they believed Charles
Darwin suffered from three different illnesses,
including a Chagas infection. The experts believe he
contracted the disease during a five-year trip around the
globe on the HMS Beagle in his 20s and attributed it
to his death of heart failure 47 years later.
The father of modern life scientists wrote in his journal
that he had been bitten by a 'wingless black bug' during
the expedition, where he visited South America.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2151815/Chagas-
disease-New-AIDS-Americas-cause-victims-hearts-
explode.html

Lab uses Skin Cells to help
repair Heart Muscle
May 23, 2012
Another breakthrough in biology and medicine was
reported, as scientists were able, for the first time, to
take skin cells from patients who had suffered heart
failure and make them repair the cardiac muscle.
The technique had been tested only on rats and it
seemed decades could pass until it would become
suitable for humans, but in lack of anything better,
doctors applied it, and it worked out remarkably fine,
marking the beginning of a new era in the quest for
replacement cells to treat tissue affected by disease,
Israeli researchers declared.
The research relies on a technique called human-
induced pluripotent stem cells, or hiPSCs, a recently-
discovered source which can be a good replacement for
the much more controversial stem cells technique.
Basically what you do is take cells from the patient and
inject new genes into their nucleus, along with a
chemical cocktail.
Basically, these new elements reprogram the cells to
their youthful stage, and teach them to do other things as
well. The major advantage here is that if the body sees its
own cells, it will recognize them as friendly cells and the
immune system will not attack.
The bad thing is that so far, studies have only shown
hiPSCs from younger (under 60 years) and healthy people
who are able to adapt to this new situation and transform
their cells. So far, this doesnt seem to work out for elderly
and diseased patients. But scientists are confident in this
technique, and believe it can be used in many more
exciting cases.
What is new and exciting about our research is that we
have shown that its possible to take skin cells from an
elderly patient with advanced heart failure and end up with
his own beating cells in a laboratory dish that are healthy
and young, said Lior Gepstein, a professor of cardiology
at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and
Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel.
Basically, it is the equivalent to the stage of his heart cells
when he was just born.
http://beforeitsnews.com/science-and-technology/2012/05/lab-
uses-skin-cells-to-help-repair-heart-muscle-2169886.html

Teen Girl Dies from Cardiac
Arrest after Drinking Two
Monster Energy Drinks:
Lawsuit
The lawsuit states that the two cans amounted to the
equivalent of 14 cans of Coca Cola, and that caffeine can
be lethal at 200 to 400 milligrams of caffeine.

By Makini Brice
October 22, 2012
In the wake of a recent death of a 14-year-old Maryland
teen, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released
the reports of the deaths of five people, as well as one non-
fatal heart attack that have been linked with the popular
energy drink Monster.
According to her parents' lawsuit, the late Anais Fournier
went to the mall with her friends, where she bought a 24-
ounce Monster energy drink. The next day, she returned to
the mall, where she bought another Monster energy drink.
Shortly before 9 PM, just hours after consuming the second
drink, the teenager went into cardiac arrest. By the time the
ambulance arrived to transport her to the hospital, she was


unconscious. Doctors placed her in a medically induced
coma in order to combat brain swelling, but after six
days, the family decided to terminate her life support.
Two days before Christmas last year, Fournier died.

(Photo: Karen Bleier, AFP/Getty Images)
Her parents state that her autopsy said that she had died
of "cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity
complicating mitral valve regurgitation in the setting of
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome". The lawsuit states that the
beverages, in total, contained 480 milligrams of
caffeine, in addition to other stimulants. Her parents
say that caffeine can be lethal at 200 to 400 milligrams
of caffeine, and that the two cans amounted to the
equivalent of 14 cans of Coca Cola.
In the United States, soft drink manufacturers are
limited to 71.5 milligrams of caffeine per 12 ounces.
But, because energy drink manufacturers like those
behind Monster, Red Bull, and Rock star classify their
beverages as dietary supplements, they are not subject
to FDA regulation.
A statement from Monster's manufacturer, Monster
Energy, said that the drink supplier said that they did
not believe that they had any responsibility for
Fournier's death and that they intend to vigorously
defend themselves in court. They also cited the 8
million sales of their beverage worldwide.
FDA's spokeswoman, Shelly Burgess, said that they
had received 5 cases connected to the energy drink.
Though the cases date back to 2004, all the deaths
occurred in2009 or later. Burgess said that the
responsibility lay with energy drink manufacturers to
investigate any claims made against them. FDA rules
also state that drink manufacturers do not need to
disclose the amount of caffeine in their beverage.
Fournier had a genetic disorder, Ehrlers-Danlos
syndrome, characterized by the loosening of joints and
the easy damaging of blood vessels. But her lawyer says
that her doctor had not suggested any special behavior
regarding exercise or caffeine.
According to the New York Times, the labels on the
Monster's containers say that they are "not recommended"
for some consumers, like children, which the drink supplier
classifies as those under the age of 12, or people "sensitive"
to caffeine.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/12832/20121022/teen-girl-
dies-cardiac-arrest-drinking-monster-energy-drink.htm

The Risk of a Heart Attack is
on your Plate
By Jonathan Landsman
May 20, 2012
(NaturalNews) Do you want to dramatically change the
course of your life? I'm talking about avoiding a massive
heart attack, ineffective stent procedures or (painful)
bypass surgeries. Believe it or not, you CAN unclog
arteries, lower blood pressure and improve your circulation
by simply eating a better diet.
It's time to update medical wisdom
In 1967, the first coronary bypass surgery was performed
and everybody thought it was a "miracle" in medicine. Of
course, 10 year later, the (less invasive) angioplasty was
created but couldn't prevent a heart attack. By 1987, the use
of stents lowered the demand for bypass surgery with NO
reduction in the risk of a heart attack.
Modern medicine doesn't get it! You can NOT fix a
biochemical problem - like heart disease with a mechanical
(surgical) solution. By 1990, Dr. Dean Ornish, a world-
renowned internist popularized the fact that anyone can
reverse coronary heart disease with simple changes to diet,
exercise and stress management habits. Doctors must
upgrade their thinking process.
"I don't understand why asking people to eat a well-
balanced, vegetarian diet is considered drastic, while it is
medically conservative to cut people open." - Dr. Dean
Ornish
Heart disease is a "toothless paper tiger"
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn of the Cleveland Clinic Wellness
Institute believes that "coronary heart disease is nothing
more than a toothless paper tiger that need never exist and
if it does exist it need never ever progress." Simply put, it
is a "food born illness". In addition, he reminds us that
drugs alone will NOT prevent a heart attack or stop the
symptoms of heart disease. Continued on page 18


Continued from page 17 The Risk of a Heart Attack is on
your Plate
In his book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease - Dr.
Esselstyn reveals the cause and revolutionary treatment
(available to all) that can abolish cardiovascular disease
forever. In fact, it is his dream that one day we may
entirely abolish heart disease - the scourge of an
affluent, modern society.
How many people have to die
Coronary artery disease is the leading killer of men and
women in Western civilization. In the United States
alone, more than 500,000 people die - every single
year. And, this number will shock you, about 3 million
people experience a "silent" heart attack with minimal
symptoms and heart damage of life-threatening
proportions. In fact, one out of every two American
men and one out of every three American women will
have some form of cardiovascular disease.
Do you want to avoid a heart attack? According to Dr.
Esselstyn, we must avoid foods that had a mother or a
face. It's better to eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole
grains and beans plus avoid all oils. Sure, the change in
lifestyle will be extreme (in the beginning) but the
rewards will last a lifetime.
http://www.naturalnews.com/035917_heart_attack_food_diet
.html

New Study Finds Statin
Drugs Accelerate Hardening
of Arteries
By Mary West
August 27, 2012
The pharmaceutical industry claims the cardiovascular
benefits of statins outweigh their many troubling side
effects, as well as their risk of causing type 2 diabetes.
A new study that shows these drugs accelerate arterial
calcification appears to refute this claim, leaving Big
Pharma without a leg to stand on.
Findings are a blow to Big Pharmas claims.
In the research published in Diabetes Care, scientists
examining patients with type 2 diabetes and severe
atherosclerosis discovered that coronary artery
calcification was decidedly greater in more frequent
statin users compared to those who were less frequent
users. Even more disturbing, in a subgroup of
participants who initially did not take statins,
advancement of coronary artery calcification (CAC)
and aortic artery calcification (AAC) was decidedly
greater in those who used statins frequently.
Drug companies arguments for using statins despite the
problems associated with them are based on the premise that
these drugs improve the health of the cardiovascular system,
the part of the body most essential for life. This argument
has been dealt a blow by the findings showing accelerated
CAC and AAC, both which largely contribute to
cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular deaths.
Just how big a risk factor is arterial calcification?
Interestingly, a recent study published in the Journal of the
American Medical Association underscores the health risk
posed by calcium in the walls of the arteries. In analyzing
what risk factors are most predictive of an impending heart
attack, researchers found coronary calcium was six times
more accurate in predicting this event than the risk factor of
a family history of coronary heart disease. Dr. Arthur
Agatston, cardiologist and author of the South Beach diet
books, commented on the study, saying coronary calcium is
the best predictor of who will have a heart attack and who
will not.
Doctor relates horror stories of adverse effects of statins
The latest discovery of the arterial calcification effect of
statins is likely the tip of a massive iceberg of adverse
effects. These drugs have been linked to more than a
staggering 300 side effects, including weakening of the heart
muscle.
In an interview with Dissident Voice, Barbara H. Roberts,
M.D., Director of the Womens Cardiac Center at the
Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island relates that
she regularly sees patients in her practice with serious
adverse effects to statins. These include debilitating pain,
transient amnesia and cognitive decline, along with fatigue,
muscle weakness and neuropathy. One of her patients stated
a fire in her home when she forgot the stove was on.
Another was a college professor whose memory loss was so
great he had to quit teaching. Others had to be wheelchair
bound.
Discover a natural alternative to statins.
As you may have read, bad cholesterol may not be quite
the villain that we have been led to believe. What about low
levels of good or HDL cholesterol? Dr. Roberts prescribes
two to three tablespoons of olive oil to her patients with this
problem, and in every case, the HDL improves. She laments
that the Mediterranean diet gets little media attention,
although studies show it reduces cardiovascular disease and
deaths.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/23/health/heart-attack-
prediction/index.html


FEATURED ARTICLES
The Calcium Supplement Problem: As Serious As
A Heart Attack
By Sayer Ji, Founder
January12, 2012

Osteoporosis is not caused by a lack of limestone,
oyster shell or bone meal. Heart attack, however,
may be caused by supplementation with these exact
same "elemental" forms of calcium, according to two
meta-analyses published last year in the British
Medical Journal.
Back in July of 2011, the British Medical Journal
published the results of a high-powered meta-analysis
which looked at whether or not calcium
supplementation had any effect on cardiovascular
disease risk. Indeed, this groundbreaking report,
which was based on the results of five clinical trials
conducted in the US, Britain and New Zealand,
involving over 8,000 people, showed that taking
elemental calcium supplements of 500 mg or more
increased the relative risk of heart attack by 27%.
Though the study made international headlines at
the time, critics soon took issue with the
fact that it involved calcium supplementation without
co-administered vitamin D. However, in April of that
same year, another meta-analysis published in the
same journal showed that even with co-administered
D elemental calcium increased the risk of heart attack
by 24%, and in addition, the composite of heart attack
and stroke by 15% -- in essence, putting those doubts to
rest.
The idea that calcium supplementation may be toxic to
cardiovascular health is not new, as many in the field of
nutrition have long warned against supplementation with
elemental calcium; which is to say, calcium from
limestone, oyster shell, egg shell and bone meal
(hydroxylapatite).
Despite the growing popularity of elemental calcium
supplementation, largely reinforced by convention-
al health "experts" and organizations like the National
Osteoporosis Foundation (whose corporate sponsors
include the calcium manufacturers Oscal and Citrical),
the habit simply does not make sense. After all, have
you ever experienced visceral disgust after accidentally
consuming eggshell? If you have, you know your body
is "hard-wired" to reject low-quality calcium sources
(stones and bones as it were), in favor of getting calcium
from food.
Inorganic or "elemental" calcium, when not bound to the
natural co-factors, e.g. amino acids, lipids and
glyconutrients, found in "food" (which is to say other
living beings, e.g. plants and animals), no longer has the
intelligent delivery system that enables your body
to utilize it in a biologically appropriate manner.
Lacking this "delivery system," the calcium may end up
going to places you do not want (ectopic calcification),
or go to places you do want (e.g. the bones), but in
excessive amounts, stimulating unnaturally accelerated
cell-division (osteoblasts), resulting in higher bone turn
over rates later in life (this is explained in the article
below).
Or, the body attempts to disburden itself of this
inappropriate calcium and dumps it into the bowel
(constipation), or pushes it through the kidneys (stones).


Continued from page 19 The Calcium Supplement
Problem
Worse, high levels of calcium can accumulate in the
blood (hypercalcemia), which can contribute to
destabilizing the atherosclerotic plaque through the
formation of a brittle calcium cap on the atheroma, can
contribute to thrombosis (clot) formation, hypertension
(that's why we use calcium channel blockers to lower
blood pressure), and perhaps causing arrhythmias/fibril-
lation and or heart muscle cramping (a rather common,
though rarely recognized trigger of 'heart attack').
The breasts too are uniquely susceptible to calcification,
which is why we use the same x-rays to ascertain bone
density that we do to discern pathological
microcalcifications in the breast, i.e. x-ray
mammography. Due to the fact that the
hydroxylapatitate crystals found in malignant breast
tissue may act as a cellular 'signaling molecule' or
mitogen (inducing cell proliferation), it is possible that
certain breast calcifications may be a cause, and not just
an effect, of the tumorous lesions ("breast cancer")
found there. This may also help to explain why women
with the highest bone density (often obtained through
massive, lifelong calcium supplementation) have up to
300% higher incidence of malignant breast cancer.
"Brain gravel" is also an increasingly prevalent
phenomenon, where autoposied patients have been
found to have pebble-size calcium deposits distributed
throughout their brains, including the pineal gland ('the
seat of the soul'). The wide range of existing calcium-
associateted pathologies, and their increasing
prevalence in calcium-fixated cultures, demand
further investigation and explanation. Could one
aspect be our cultural fixation on mega-dose calcium
supplementation?
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/calcium-supplement-
problem-serious-heart-attack

What are Electrolytes?
Electrolyte is a "medical/scientific" term for salts,
specifically ions. The term electrolyte means that this
ion is electrically-charged and moves to either a
negative (cathode) or positive (anode) electrode:
ions that move to the cathode (cations) are
positively charged
ions that move to the anode (anions) are
negatively charged
For example, your body fluids -- blood, plasma,
interstitial fluid (fluid between cells) -- are like seawater

and have a high concentration of sodium chloride (table
salt, or NaCl). The electrolytes in sodium chloride are:
sodium ion (Na
+
) - cation
chloride ion (Cl
-
) anion
As for your body, the major electrolytes are as follows:
sodium (Na
+
)
potassium (K
+
)
chloride (Cl
-
)
calcium (Ca
2+
)
magnesium (Mg
2+
)
bicarbonate (HCO
3
-
)
phosphate (PO
4
2-
)
sulfate (SO
4
2-
)
Electrolytes are important because they are what your
cells (especially nerve, heart, muscle) use to maintain
voltages across their cell membranes and to carry
electrical impulses (nerve impulses, muscle contractions)
across themselves and to other cells. Your kidneys work
to keep the electrolyte concentrations in your blood
constant despite changes in your body. For example,
when you exercise heavily, you lose electrolytes in your
sweat, particularly sodium and potassium. These
electrolytes must be replaced to keep the electrolyte
concentrations of your body fluids constant. So, many
sports drinks have sodium chloride or potassium chloride
added to them. They also have sugar and flavorings to
provide your body with extra energy and to make the
drink taste better.
Another example where electrolyte drinks are important is
when infants/children have chronic vomiting or diarrhea,
perhaps due to intestinal flu viruses. When children vomit
or have diarrhea, they lose electrolytes. Again, these
electrolytes and the fluids must be replaced to prevent
dehydration and seizures. Therefore, drinks such as
Pedialyte have sodium and potassium in them like the
sports drinks do. However, pediatricians do not
recommend giving sports drinks to a sick child! Sports
drinks have much higher sugar concentrations than
Pedialyte and the high sugar is not a proper treatment.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-
fitness/information/question565.htm


ELECTROLYTES OF
SIGNIFICANCE IN HEART
FUNCTIONING
By David L. Heiserman
As with all muscle and nervous tissue, a proper
concentration of electrolytes is essential for normal heart
function. The three electrolytes essential for proper cardiac
function are potassium, calcium, and sodium.
a. Potassium. An increase in the level of potassium in the
extracellular fluid causes a decrease in the heart rate as
well as a decrease in the force of contraction. The heart
becomes dilated and flaccid. An extremely large increase
in potassium can block nervous conduction through the
atrio-ventricular bundle. If potassium levels are increased
two or three times above normal, the atrio-ventricular
blockade is usually so severe that death occurs. Potassium
depletion also causes a decrease in the heart rate and an
increase in the force of contraction. This is of concern,
especially in the patient who has been taking digitalis. As
you will remember, digitalis is valuable in the treatment of
heart failure because it decreases the heart rate as well as
increases the force of contraction, thus the efficiency of the
heart is increased. If potassium levels are depleted at too
great a degree, digitalis intoxication can result in which
case the heart rate might decrease to too slow a rate.
b. Calcium. Calcium is primarily involved with the
contractile processes of the myocardium. An increase in
calcium levels may cause over contraction of the heart and
a decrease in calcium levels may cause cardiac flaccidity.
It should be noted that calcium level alterations rarely
reach the point where these effects can be seen.
c. Sodium. Sodium is another essential electrolyte
involved in cardiac function. However, sodium imbalances
are usually manifested in some of the other systems before
cardiac problems arise. If sodium levels are increased
above normal depressed cardiac function occurs. Sodium
levels are of concern in congestive heart failure because of
the edema that can certainly aggravate congestive heart
failure. Persons having congestive heart failure must
carefully monitor their sodium intake in that too much
sodium can cause an excessive fluid accumulation in the
tissues. This fluid accumulation causes the heart to work
harder in order to compensate for the water.
d. Magnesium. Magnesium is an essential electrolyte
involved as a cofactor in many enzyme systems. It is also
closely linked to regulating intracellular potassium and
calcium content. High magnesium levels may affect heart
rate, cardiac conduction, and blood pressure. Hypotension,

vasodilation, bradycardia, heart block, and cardiac arrest
can occur with increasing levels. Low magnesium may
cause cardiac arrhythmias and may play an important role
in atypical ventricular tachycardia (torsades de pointes).
Attempting to replace potassium is difficult if an existing
magnesium or calcium deficiency is also present.
Primary Content Providers: The U. S. Army, The U.S. Navy
Copyright 2001, 2004 SweetHaven Publishing Services
http://www.waybuilder.net/sweethaven/MedTech/Pharmacol/co
ursemain.asp?whichMod=module030218

Overview of Electrolytes &
Electrolyte Imbalances
Electrolytes are salts that conduct electricity and are found
in the body fluid, tissue, and blood. Examples are chloride,
calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. Sodium
(Na+) is concentrated in the extracellular fluid (ECF) and
potassium (K+) is concentrated in the intracellular fluid
(ICF). Proper balance is essential for muscle coordination,
heart function, fluid absorption and excretion, nerve
function, and concentration.
The kidneys regulate fluid absorption and excretion and
maintain a narrow range of electrolyte fluctuation.
Normally, sodium and potassium are filtered and excreted
in the urine and feces according to the body's needs. Too
much or too little sodium or potassium, caused by poor
diet, dehydration, medication, and disease, results in an
imbalance. Too much sodium is called hypernatremia; too
little is called hyponatremia. Too much potassium is called
hyperkalemia; too little is called hypokalemia.
Electrolyte Imbalance Incidence and Prevalence
Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte imbalance.
It is associated with kidney disease such as nephrotic
syndrome and acute renal failure (ARF). Men and women
with healthy kidneys have equal chances of experiencing
electrolyte imbalance, and people with eating disorders
such as anorexia and bulimia, which most often affect
women, are at increased risk. Very young people and old
people are affected more often than young adults.
http://www.healthcommunities.com/electrolyte-
imbalance/electrolyte-imbalance-overview.shtml

What causes Electrolyte
Imbalance?
The balance of electrolytes is constantly shifting due to
fluctuating fluids in your body. For example, when you


Continued from page 21 What causes Electrolyte
Imbalance?
sweat as a result of exercise, hot weather, or illness,
levels of certain electrolytes may be low. Vomiting and
diarrhea are other causes of electrolyte imbalances, as
they result in excessive fluid loss.
Electrolyte imbalances can also be caused by a deficiency
or an overabundance of minerals in the body.
Medical causes of electrolyte imbalances
Electrolyte imbalances can be caused by medical
conditions including:
Addisons disease (deceased production of hormones
by the adrenal glands)
Alcoholism, which causes the breakdown of muscle
fibers, resulting in potassium being released into the
bloodstream
Diabetes
Diarrhea
Heat exhaustion
Kidney disease
Vomiting
Malnutrition
HIV/AIDS
Age, Elderly
Cancer
Medication-related causes of electrolyte imbalances
Electrolyte imbalances may be caused by medications
including:
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
Calcium supplements
Certain hormones that are potassium-sparing (lead to
the retention of potassium by the kidneys)
Diuretics, which promote fluid excretion by the
kidneys
Potassium supplements
Serious or life-threatening causes of electrolyte
imbalances
In some cases, electrolyte imbalances may be a symptom
of a serious or life-threatening condition that should be
immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. These
include:
Dehydration
Shock
Questions for diagnosing the cause of electrolyte
imbalances
To diagnose your condition, your doctor or licensed
health care practitioner will ask you several questions
related to your electrolyte imbalance including:
When did you start to experience symptoms?
Are you taking any medications such as diuretics or
potassium-sparing medications?
Have you been exercising or working outdoors in hot
weather?
Do you drink enough fluids?
Do you drink alcohol?
Do you have high blood pressure or other chronic
conditions that may require medication?
What are the potential complications of electrolyte
imbalance?
Because electrolyte imbalances can be due to serious
diseases, failure to seek treatment can result in serious
complications and permanent damage. Once the
underlying cause is diagnosed, it is important for you to
follow the treatment plan that you and your health care
professional design specifically for you to reduce the risk
of potential complications including:
Cerebral edema (swelling of the brain)
Overheating
Seizures or convulsions
Shock
Unconsciousness and coma
Muscle spasm
Bone disorders
Weakness
Blood pressure changes
Twitching
Irregular heartbeat
Numbness
Nervous system disorders
Confusion
Convulsions
Lethargy
Seizures
Internet


Heart Disease and Diuretics
Sometimes diuretics are used as heart disease treatment.
Diuretics, commonly known as "water pills," help your
body get rid of unneeded water and salt through the urine.
Getting rid of excess fluid makes it easier for your heart
to pump and controls blood pressure. Examples of
diuretics include:
Lasix (furosemide)
Bumex (bumetanide)
Demadex (torsemide)
Esidrix (hydrochlorothiazide)
Zaroxolyn (metolazone)
Aldactone (spironolactone)
Diuretics are categorized as thiazide-like (Zaroxolyn and
Esidrix), loop (Lasix, Bumex, Demadex) or potassium
sparing (Aldactone). Thiazide diuretics cause moderate
increases in water excretion and are appropriate for long-
term use. Loop diuretics are more powerful and are
especially useful in emergencies. Potassium-sparing
diuretics help your body retain the mineral potassium
and are often prescribed in conjunction with the other two
types of diuretics. Some diuretics are a combination of
potassium-sparing and thiazide diuretics.
Who Should Take Diuretics?
If you have any of the following conditions, your doctor
may recommend you take a diuretic.
Edema. Diuretics decrease swelling (edema) that
usually occurs in the legs.
High blood pressure. Thiazide diuretics lower blood
pressure, which substantially reduces the risk of
stroke and heart attack.
Heart failure. Diuretics reduce the swelling (edema)
and water build up in the lungs (congestion) caused
by heart failure. Normally, loop diuretics are used for
heart failure.
Kidney problems. Diuretics reduce water retention.
Liver problems. Diuretics reduce the amount of
fluid buildup associated with cirrhosis (disease of the
liver).
Glaucoma. Diuretics reduce the pressure in the eye
associated with this disease.
How Should I Take Diuretics?
Before a diuretic is prescribed, tell your doctor if you
have diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, or gout.
Follow the label directions on how often you should take
the diuretic. If you are taking a single dose a day, take it
in the morning with your breakfast or right after eating
your breakfast. If you are taking more than one dose a
day, take the last dose no later than 4 p.m.
The number of doses you take each day, the time allowed
between doses, and how long you need to take a diuretic
will depend on the type prescribed, as well as your
condition.
Weigh yourself at the same time every day (on the same
scale) and record your weight. Call your doctor if you
gain three pounds in one day or five pounds in one week.
While taking a diuretic, have your blood pressure and
kidney function tested regularly, as advised by your
doctor. These tests are important because diuretics can
change your blood potassium and magnesium levels.
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the
laboratory so that your response to this medication can be
monitored.
What Are the Side Effects of Diuretics?
Diuretics can cause the following side effects:
Frequent urination. This may last for up to four
hours after each dose. If you are taking two diuretic
doses each day, take the second dose no later than
late afternoon so you can sleep through the night
without needing to wake up to urinate..
Extreme tiredness or weakness. These effects
should decrease as your body adjusts to the
medication. Call your doctor or nurse if these
symptoms persist, since these symptoms could mean
your medication dose needs to be adjusted.
Muscle cramps or weakness. Be sure that you are
taking your potassium supplement correctly, if
prescribed. Contact your doctor or nurse if these
symptoms persist.
Thirst. Try sucking on sugarless hard candy. Contact
your doctor or nurse if you have extreme thirst,
which could be a sign of dehydration.
Dizziness, lightheadedness. Try rising more slowly
when getting up from a lying or sitting position.
Blurred vision, confusion, headache, increased
perspiration (sweating), restlessness. If these
effects are persistent or severe, contact your doctor or
nurse.
Dehydration. Signs include dizziness, extreme thirst,
excessive dryness of the mouth, decreased urine
output, dark-colored urine, or constipation. If these
symptoms occur, don't assume you need more fluids -
- call your doctor or nurse. Continued on page 24


Continued from page 23 Heart Disease and Diuretics
Fever, sore throat, cough, ringing in the ears,
unusual bleeding or bruising, rapid and excessive
weight loss. Contact your doctor or nurse right away.
Skin rash . Stop taking the medication and contact
your doctor or nurse right away.
Loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, or muscle
cramps. Be sure that you are taking your potassium
supplement correctly, if prescribed. Contact your
doctor or nurse if these symptoms persist.
Contact your doctor or nurse if you have any other
symptoms that cause concern.
What Foods or Drugs Interact With Diuretics?
To avoid harmful drug interactions, tell your doctor and
pharmacist all the medications you are taking, including
herbal preparations, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and
nutrition supplements.
Diuretics are often prescribed in combination with other
drugs. If you experience an increase in side effects after
taking your medications together, contact your doctor.
You may need to change the times you are taking each
medication.
Before a diuretic is prescribed, tell your doctor if you are
taking other medications for high blood pressure,
digoxin, indomethacin, probenecid, or corticosteroids
(prednisone).
Some diuretics may require you to avoid or include
certain foods in your diet. Follow your doctor's advice,
which may include:
Following a low-salt diet.
Taking a potassium supplement or including high-
potassium foods such as bananas and orange juice if
you are losing potassium. Talk to your doctor about
your level of potassium intake.
Can Pregnant Women Take Diuretics?
Check with your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to
become pregnant while taking a diuretic.
Can Breastfeeding Women Take Diuretics?
Most diuretics are compatible with breastfeeding, with
some precautions; talk to your doctor.
Can Children Take Diuretics?
Children can safely take diuretics. The side effects are
similar to those in adults. Children require smaller doses
of the drug.
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/medicine-diuretics?

Healthy Eating: Sodium
Study was Misleading
By Joan Endyke
October 25, 2012
GateHouse News Service
In the face of a public health campaign to lower sodium
intakes in the United States, a controversial health writer
created confusion this year when he claimed new
research showed less sodium does not reduce
cardiovascular disease, and worse, lowering sodium may
even cause more deaths.
However, when trained researchers scrutinized his
studies, they found glaring flaws. Health experts agree: It
is still good advice to lower sodium.
Cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack, stroke
and heart failure, are the leading causes of death in the
United States, and high blood pressure is a major risk
factor.
One in every three Americans is estimated to develop
high blood pressure and high sodium intakes are a
contributing factor.
According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,
the evidence is strong: As sodium intake decreases, so
does blood pressure, but most Americans are unaware of
this and 90 percent of the population is consuming more
than needed.
Excess dietary sodium promotes fluid retention in the
body and constricts and stiffens vessels, which creates
higher pressure. The heart works harder to force a higher
volume of blood through narrowed blood vessels. Over
time this damages the vessels, causes plaque build-up and
weakens the heart.
The American Heart Association, the National Institutes
of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, and the National Heart Lung and Blood
Institute all agree: Americans will benefit from lowering
sodium in their diets.
The recommendation is to limit sodium to 1,500 mg daily
for more than half of the population particularly
African-Americans, people over the age of 51 and those
with high blood pressure. For everyone else, the aim is
less than 2,300 mg.
Some exceptions apply. For example, people with certain
medical conditions, such as kidney disease, may need
even lower amounts and endurance athletes may need
higher amounts because of sweat loss.


Continued from page 24 Heart Disease and Diuretics
Americans consume an average of 3,400 mg of sodium
daily with most from processed prepared foods, like
dehydrated rice and pasta packages, jarred and canned
tomato sauce, soups, frozen foods, salad dressings, deli
foods, fast foods, restaurant meals and the like.
There is very little sodium in fresh fruits and vegetables,
fresh meats and unprocessed grains. A teaspoon of added
salt contains 2,300 mg of sodium.
Limiting sodium is a big part of the puzzle, but also
important: Add foods high in potassium, magnesium and
calcium, minerals that dilate blood vessels and lower
pressure. Choose multiple servings of fresh fruits and
vegetables daily, along with low-fat, calcium-rich foods.
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/marengo/lifestyle/food/x1757
119480/HEALTHY-EATING-Sodium-study-was-misleading?

Study shows Children's Salt
Intake a Cause for Concern
September 17, 2012
Memphis Business Journal

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns
many American children are at a significantly increased
risk for having high blood pressure, thanks to excessive
salt intake. (Note: Processed salt ed.)
USA TODAY reports a study released by the CDC
showed that kids are consuming as much salt as is
suggested for adults, with some eating more than twice
the recommended amount than their older counterparts.
Excessive sodium intake is associated with hypertension,
or high blood pressure, in children.
http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/morning_call/2012/
09/study-shows-childrens-salt-intake-a.html

Confront Salt Confusion
By Paul Louis
April 20, 2009
(NaturalNews) Salt is currently considered a leading
culprit for high blood pressure and other health
problems. This is based on the premise that a high
sodium intake creates high blood pressure, which can
lead to heart attacks, arterial, and kidney problems. Salt
is high in sodium. But sodium is essential for proper
absorption of other major nutrients and functioning of
nerves and muscles, as well as being necessary for
balancing water and minerals in the body.
Lately there have been studies that strongly question
the research on sodium hazards, as well as the
recommended maximum sodium intakes from that
research. There has been a survey in New York,
conducted over several years on hypertension prone
locals, which showed that those with high sodium
intakes had proportionately less heart attacks than those
who were put on low sodium diets! And now there are
even MD`s who claim that the right type of salt,
unrefined, has more health benefits than health hazards.
A major confusion is that only refined commercial and
household salt is known as salt to most of medical
science and consumers. It is the most prevalent, by far.
Refined salt, stripped of its natural mineral structure, is
virtually all sodium. As a matter of fact, it is 97% to
99% sodium! That`s why it is called Sodium Chloride.
Processed foods are laced with Sodium Chloride
refined salt as well as with other types of sodium, such
as sodium benzoate, sodium nitrate, and the notorious
monosodium glutamate (MSG). So if you are
concerned about your sodium levels, then cut out
processed foods!
Part of the process for refined salt, or commercial table
salt, involves the use of aluminum, ferrocyanide and
bleach. These are all toxic materials that your body
takes in with refined, commercial salt. And because of
that process, almost all the vital minerals that real,
unrefined salt can offer are removed! One or two
servings of refined salt won`t send you to the grave.
But continued almost daily use will avail you to the
perils of aluminum toxicity. Ferro cyanide is listed by
the EPA as a toxic material for human consumption.
You are probably aware of the hazards to human health
of chlorine, which is used to bleach the salt. There's
more on aluminum toxicity here:
www.hbci.com/~wenonah/hydro/al.htm


areas. This is the fluoride that originally was claimed as
a deterrent against tooth decay. Wikipedia notes that
while all other fluorides are dangerous for human
consumption, calcium fluoride is not. And it`s Calcium
Fluoride that would be in any unrefined salt analysis.
The other fluoride, Sodium Fluoride, is a synthetic,
poisonous fluoride. It has been used as rat poison. It`s a
waste by-product of the aluminum industry, fertilizer
industry, and nuclear industry. It`s their way of picking
up a lot of easy bucks by selling it to municipalities for
their water supplies instead of suffering the expense of
getting rid of it. That`s the stuff that`s been going into
our water supplies, causing health problems, and
assisting in the dumbing down of America. Either the
dentists didn`t distinguish between those two, or
perhaps they didn`t even know there were two types of
fluoride.
It appears that organically produced, unrefined salt
should be a healthy addition to our diets. It offers bio-
available, balanced minerals that aren`t naturally
present in our food chain. It does not contain the
poisons of industry that are a part of refined salt. Yes,
too much of a good thing can be bad. But again, the
sodium of refined salt and other food additives is
curbed best by eliminating processed foods, which
contain several toxic sodium sources as well as
unrefined salt, from the diet. Dr. Brownstein`s advice,
using organic, unrefined salt with a little bit of iodine
supplementation, seems like a natural and economical
way to boost one`s immune system.
Sources:
Crusader Health News, January 18, 2009 - Interview of Dr.
David Brownstein
Salt Institute, www.saltinstitute.org
Rutgers (New Brunswick) Health Education Newsletter, 2002
Wikipedia
http://www.naturalnews.com/026080_salt_sodium_health.ht
ml

Killer Headache: Migraines
hike Stroke Risk
Some sufferers have twice the chance of heart attacks,
strokes, studies say
By David Kohn
March 2, 2009
Beth Leslie had gotten occasional migraines for years.
She thought of them as a painful imposition, nothing
more. Continued on page 27
Continued from page 25 Confront Salt Confusion
According to Dr. David Brownstein, author of Salt Your
Way to Health, unrefined salt is an excellent detoxification
aid, as well as a provider of mineral nutrients in a naturally
bio-available balance. There are usually around 80
minerals and essential trace elements in unrefined, organic
salt. Soil grown food is lacking in many of these because
the soil has been depleted of trace elements and minerals.
Some of the major minerals included with unrefined salt
are: Magnesium (a very essential metabolic agent),
calcium, potassium, and sulfate. Obviously, sodium is
present also, but it comprises only 50% of the total mineral
content rather than the 99% sodium in refined table salt.
Regular consumer table salt, refined, sometimes has iodine
added in order to promote thyroid health. Dr. Brownstien
has devoted a good deal of his practice and research on
thyroid and glandular health. He says there is less iodized
salt now than before, and the amount of iodine in iodized
salt is insufficient for optimum thyroid health anyway.
Iodine is an important agent for glandular health, and it is
also scarcely present in our food anymore. Unless you eat
a lot of seafood and roll the dice with mercury!
Dr. Brownstein strongly advocates the use of unrefined,
organic salt with iodine supplements, preferably a
combination of potassium iodide and iodine. He maintains
that these two dietary items contribute largely toward
optimum endocrine health, which is vital for a strong
immune system.
Unrefined salt has a distinctively different look from
refined salt. It is usually too course to be used in salt
shaker. You may want to invest in a salt grinder. And it is
usually not very white. Off white is more common, even
pink or gray for unrefined pure salt. The extreme white of
common household or commercial salt is a result of
bleaching. But buyer beware, some so called sea salts
offered on line and especially in health food stores are at
least partially processed. Avoid sea salt that is too white
and too fine as a rule of thumb.
If you are very concerned about getting the purest
available product, and you don`t have anyone`s advice you
can trust, look for "organic certification". Since salt is
mined or taken from salt water beds, organic has different
implications than produce and animal product organic
requirements. But the standards are there and they are
strict. The two groups that certify salt as organic are BIO-
GRO of New Zealand, and Nature & Progresre of France.
You may come across an analysis of organic salt minerals,
or a commentary on such, that mentions fluoride as a
constituent. But there are two types of fluoride. One,
Calcium Fluoride, is an element that occurs as a natural
process over time within the earth`s soil, rock, and water


Continued from page 26 Killer Headache: Migraines hike
Stroke Risk
Then, one day two years ago, her world tipped sideways.
Everything was spinning. I just kept my eyes closed,
because whenever Id open them Id get dizzy, says
Leslie, a 24-year-old veterinary technician who lives in
Bowling Green, Ohio. It really freaked me out.
She went to the hospital, where a doctor told her shed
probably come down with some sort of virus. After two
days, Leslies condition hadnt improved, and her
boyfriend started pressing the doctors. They agreed to
give her a brain scan, and found shed suffered a stroke,
one that centered on her cerebellum, the part of the brain
in charge of balance.
Leslie was shocked. Like most people, shed thought of
stroke as a disease of old age. But for those who get
migraines, the rules appear to be different. Until recently,
scientists saw migraine suffering as a physiological
thunderstorm that left few lasting effects. But new
research suggests some migraines arent so innocuous.
Recent studies show those who suffer from something
called migraine with aura have double, or perhaps triple,
the risk of stroke or heart attack, compared with people
who dont get migraines at all.
In these people Leslie is one of them the headache
is preceded by a range of symptoms: slurred speech,
forgetfulness, feeling hot or cold, and ghostly lights
blinking across the field of vision. That last one is the
aura. A third of those who experience migraines have
these symptoms; generally, this sub-group also has more
frequent, and more excruciating, migraines.
I dont think migraine is seen as a serious disorder.
Thats a mistake, says migraine researcher David
Dodick, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.
Headache is just one manifestation of migraine. Its a
systemic illness.
The mysteries of migraines
Thirty-five million Americans 1 in 10 of us get
migraines. They tend to occur regularly, with severe pain
on one side of the head. Migraine attacks often include
other symptoms, such as nausea and sensitivity to light
and sound.
Researchers disagree on whether people who get
migraines without aura are at higher risk for strokes and
heart attacks. So far, almost all of the research of
migraine and cardiovascular risk has occurred in those
who get auras. And one knows for sure what accounts for
the higher rates of strokes and heart attacks in those who
do suffer from migraine with aura, but scientist have
several theories that may offer insight.
Some researchers blame migraines on chronic exposure
to certain neurotransmitters. Most scientists think
migraine sufferers brains are hyper-excitable that
is, their neurons tend to start firing uncontrollably, with
the outburst spreading across the brain over the course
of a few hours.
This electrical storm causes the brain to release several
neurotransmitters, including two chemicals called
Substance P and Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
(CGRP) that produce inflammation and pain in the
blood vessels surrounding our brains.
Researchers suspect that over years of repeated
migraines, the inflammation from Substance P and
CGRP may weaken blood vessels, not only in the head
but throughout the body. This damage may raise the
risk of stroke or heart attack. During a stroke, the
vessels that supply the brain rupture or become
blocked; during a heart attack the same thing happens
to the vessels around the heart.
In a study of 175 people completed last year,
University of Toledo neurologist Gretchen Tietjen
who treated Leslie after her stroke found that nearly
a third of those with migraines had signs of blood
vessel damage, almost five times higher than the
controls.
Tietjen says that while theres no conclusive proof that
Leslies migraines played a role in her stroke, they
easily could have.
But another group of scientists think the culprit isnt
neurotransmitters, but the vascular system itself.
Dodick and others argue that the blood vessels of
people who get migraines are inherently dysfunctional,
contracting and expanding abnormally in reaction to
physical and emotional stress.
People with migraine probably have unusually
reactive blood vessels, says neurologist Richard B.
Lipton, a leading migraine researcher at the Albert
Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx.
In the head, these vascular spasms could trigger
migraines. When the veins and arteries in the temple
and skull expand and contract too much, they may
press on nerves, leading to the excruciating pain.
In people who get migraines, these blood vessel
seizures may occur throughout the body, without
patients much noticing. Over years, these spasms may
damage the vascular system.
Link between migraine and heart defect?
Then theres the hole-in-the-heart theory. Researchers


Continued from page 27 Killer Headache: Migraines hike
Stroke Risk
have known for years that having a gap in the wall between
two chambers of the heart a surprisingly common defect
(it occurs in 10 to 20 percent of people) increases the
risk of stroke. Its not clear why: The defect, known as a
patent foramen ovale, or PFO, may allow blood to bypass
the lungs, which constantly filter small clots and impurities
from the blood. These clots may end up lodged in veins and
arteries in the head, triggering strokes.
Over the past five years, scientists have found that PFOs
seem to occur in more than half of people who get
migraines. In some migraine patients, closing the PFO with
surgery seems to lead to a disappearance of headaches.
Some researchers suspect the unpurified blood leaking
through the PFO contains inflammatory molecules, which
set off that electrical storm when they travel up to the brain.
(This may be why people with migraine get headaches after
eating certain foods like red wine, olives and chocolate.
These trigger foods may contain the offending chemicals,
which in normal people are constantly removed from the
blood.)
A very complex system
But none of these hypotheses have been proven, and the
links between migraine and cardiovascular disease remain
murky.
Theres no clear mechanism that convinces me, says
Tobias Kurth, a neuro-epidemiologist at the Harvard
University School of Public Health. Its likely a very
complex system.
Kurth, who has spent several years examining connections
between migraine and stroke, thinks there may be several
lines of connection between stroke, heart disease and
migraine.
At the same time, he says, even those who get frequent
migraines shouldnt panic. In the general population, stroke
and heart attack are quite rare. Theyre even less common if
youre young and healthy. While th e stroke risk might
double from 15 per 100,000 in the general population to 30
per 100,000 for those who migraine with aura, the risk is
still relatively small, pointed out Lipton in the journal
Neurology Today.
A doubling of risk sounds scary, but in absolute terms, its
still low, says Dr. Stephen Silberstein, a migraine
specialist at the Jefferson Headache Center in Philadelphia.
But if you get migraines, and you smoke, are overweight,
or have untreated high blood pressure, then your risk climbs
significantly. And each risk compounds the others
exponentially.

In a 2007 study published, Kurth found that women
who have migraine with aura, smoke and take oral
contraceptives (also a stroke hazard), were 10 times
more likely to have a stroke than women without these
risks. Leslie, for example, was taking birth control pills
when she had her stroke.
Changes in treatment
Even without a clear causal link, the new findings may
change how doctors treat migraines. Rather than seeing
the condition as a painful but harmless hassle, doctors
are increasingly trying to prevent it, just as they do
obesity or high blood pressure. A range of medicines,
including blood pressure drugs and antidepressants, can
help prevent headaches. And many patients also find
relief through changes in lifestyle and diet.
Although theres no clear proof, some scientists,
including Tietjen, suspect that in migraineurs,
preventing headaches could lower the risk of stroke and
heart attack. I think theres ongoing, progressive
damage to the cardiovascular system, she says. If you
can treat patients early on, maybe you can keep it from
progressing.
Dodick agrees. The evidence points in that direction,
he says. So it makes good sense to be aggressive with
preventive measures. He notes that only 15 percent of
people who get frequent migraines take preventive
medicine.
Leslie, who has since fully recovered from her stroke,
is now in this minority. She takes Elavil, an anti-
depressant, for migraine prevention. She no longer
takes oral contraceptives, and last year she had surgery
to close a PFO doctors discovered after her stroke. She
almost never gets a headache.
It still surprises me that I had a stroke, she says. But
Im doing everything I can to stay healthy now. Ive
come a long way.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29288759/

Perfluorooctanoic Acid and
Heart Disease
By Andy Soos, ENN
September 4, 2012
Perfluorooctanoic acid is a synthetic, stable perflu-
orinated carboxylic acid and fluorosurfactant. It has
been used in the manufacture of such prominent
consumer goods as Teflon and Gore-Tex. Exposure to
perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a man made chemical


Continued from page 28 Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Heart
Disease
used in the manufacture of some common household
products, appears to be associated with cardiovascular
disease and peripheral arterial disease in a study of 1,216
individuals, according to a report published Online First
by Archives of Internal Medicine. Surveys have
suggested that PFOA (widely used in the manufacture of
products such as lubricants, polishes, paper and textile
coatings, and food packaging) is detectable in the blood
of more than 98 percent of the U.S. population. Some
evidence has suggested that an association may be
biologically plausible between PFOA exposure and
cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to the study
background.
The levels of PFOA exposure in humans vary widely.
While an average American might have 3 or 4 parts per
billion of PFOA present in his blood serum, individuals
occupationally exposed to PFOA have had blood serum
levels over 100,000 parts per billion recorded. In a study
of individuals living around DuPont's Washington Works
WV plant, those who had no occupational exposure had a
median blood serum level of 329 parts per billion while
the median of those with occupational exposure was 775
parts per billion.
PFOA can form as a breakdown product from a variety of
precursor molecules. PFOA precursors can be
transformed to PFOA by metabolism, biodegradation, or
atmospheric processes.
Anoop Shankar, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues from the
West Virginia University School of Public Health,
Morgantown, examined the association between serum
(blood) levels of PFOA and the presence of CVD and
PAD, a marker of atherosclerosis, in a nationally
representative group of adults. The study used merged
data from the 1999-2000 and 2003-2004 National Health
and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
The study suggests that increasing serum PFOA levels
were positively associated with the presence of CVD and
PAD, and the association appeared to be independent of
confounders such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking
status, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, hypertension
and serum cholesterol level.
"Our results contribute to the emerging data on health
effects of PFCs [perfluoroalkyl chemicals], suggesting
for the first time that PFOA exposure is potentially
related to CVD and PAD. However, owing to the cross-
sectional nature of the present study, we cannot conclude
that the association is causal," the authors comment.
Compared with the reference level of PFOA in quartile
1, the multivariable odds ratio among participants in
quartile 4 was 2.01 for CVD and 1.78 for PAD,
according to the results. "In summary, in a
representative cross-sectional sample of the U.S.
population, we found that higher PFOA levels are
positively associated with self-reported CVD and
objectively measured PAD. Our findings, however,
should be interpreted with caution because of the
possibility of residual confounding and reverse
causality. Future prospective studies are needed to
confirm or refute our findings," the authors conclude.
http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/44895

Infectious Agents
Basics of Infectious Agents
*The role of this risk factor in the development of heart
disease is not yet fully established. While some
infectious agents are associated with heart disease and
heart attack, it has not yet been shown that treating
these infections will lower your risk of having a heart
attack or dying early.
What are infectious agents and how are they related
to heart disease?
Infectious agents are viruses or bacteria that takes up
residence in your body, causing an infection. Certain
common infections may play a role in heart disease.
The theory is that these bacteria and viruses trigger
inflammation in the arteries, making the arteries more
likely to become clogged, thereby increasing your risk
of heart attack or stroke. Researchers have identified
several different bacteria and viruses that may be
associated with heart disease.
1
The main suspects
include:
Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae), a cause
of flu-like respiratory problems that can lead to
pneumonia or bronchitis
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), the bacteria that
causes stomach ulcers
Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a member of the herpes
family of viruses that usually doesn't cause any
symptoms
Studies are currently underway to determine which, if
any, of these infections actually increase people's risk
for heart disease, heart attack, and death, and whether
your risk for heart disease can be reduced by treating
these infections. Research so far has had conflicting
results, researchers stated that h. pylori -- which can be


FEATURED ARTICLES
Heart Disease - Beyond The Stent & Bypass
Cardiac Coverup
By Dr. Lawrence Broxmeyer, MD
October 12, 2009
are exposed and at one time contract tuberculosis, but
do not presently have active disease.
In Infections and Atherosclerosis: New Clues from an
old Hypothesis? Nieto stressed the need to extend the
possible role of infectious agents beyond the three
infections which have in recent years been the focus of
research: Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Chlamydia
pneumonia, and Helicobactor pylori [39].
Mycobacterial disease shares interesting connections to
heart disease. Not only is tuberculosis the only
microorganism to depend on cholesterol for its
pathogenesis but CDC maps for cardiovascular disease
bear a striking match to those of State and regional TB
case rates. Why should this be?
Ellis, Hektoen, Osler, McCallum, Swartz, Livingston
and Alexander- Jackson all saw clinical and laboratory
evidence of a causative relationship between the TB, its
related mycobacteria and heart disease. And Xu showed
that proteins of mycobacterial origin actually led to
experimental atherosclerosis in laboratory animals.
Furthermore present day markers suggested as
indicators for heart disease susceptibility such as C-
Reactive Protein (CRP), interleukin-6 and
homocysteine are all similarly elevated in tuberculosis.
Although more than 120 years have passed since its
discovery, Mycobacterium tuberculosis is still the
leading cause of death globally due to a single
infectious agent (Dye et al. 1999). This high mortality
rate exists in spite of the fact that for over 50 years
tuberculosis has been a preventable, diagnosable, and
treatable disease.
It therefore behooves us to explore the historical,
clinical, and pathological link between heart disease,
typical, and atypical tuberculosis.

Summary
Once upon a time, by the turn of the last century,
flying in the face of over a hundred years of research
and clinical observation to the contrary, medicine
abandoned the link between infection and
atherosclerotic heart disease; not because it was ever
proven wrong, but because it did not fit in with the
trends of a medical establishment convinced that
chronic disease such as heart disease must be
multifactorial, degenerative and non-infectious.
Yet it was the very inability of 'established' risk
factors such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension
and smoking to fully explain the incidence and trends
in cardiovascular disease that resulted in historically
repeated calls to search out an infectious cause, a
search that began more than a century ago.
Today, half of US heart attack victims have
acceptable cholesterol levels and 25% or more have
none of the "risk factors" associated with heart
disease, including smoking, high blood pressure or
obesity, most of which are not inconsistent with
being caused by infection [7,56].
Even the traditionalist's 2003 assault in JAMA
(Journal of the American Medical Association) to
'debunk' what they call the "50% risk factor myth"
[20] fell woefully short under scrutiny. In one group
30% died of heart disease with a cholesterol of at
least 240 mg/dl, a condition which also existed in
21% who did not die during the same period. And
the overlap was obvious throughout the so-called risk
categories. Under such scrutiny, lead author
Greenland conceded that if obesity, inactivity and
elevated cholesterol in the elderly are included, just
about everyone has a risk factor and he likened the
dilemma of people who do or do not wind up with
heart disease akin to the susceptibility of people who


Continued from page 30 Heart Disease - Beyond The Stent
& Bypass Cardiac Coverup
Introduction
Attached at the hip, the American Heart Association
(AHA), first to push towards medical heart specialization,
was actually an offshoot of The National Tuberculosis
Association, without whose money and help it would
never have survived. In one of its first Bulletins, the AHA
(American Heart Association) came up with a long list of
the similarities between tuberculosis and heart disease
[2], a view supported by Ellis in The New England
Journal of Medicine half a century later [15]. In a 'name
that disease' Ellis fleshes-out a medical condition who's
mortality rate was 200 to 300 per 100,000, was
widespread, and by whom many in their prime were
struck down. Treatment was only partially effective.
Doctors recommended diet and exercise. Special
hospitals were built for it. In a tough decision, Ellis's
readers only recognized the disease as TB when he said it
struck 75 years ago, the white plague of the 20th century,
for the mortality rate for ischemic heart disease (IHD) at
the time of Ellis's writing was also 200 to 300 persons per
100,000.
Yet it was not until after WWII that the subject was
pursued in earnest, and by two women, one of them the
first female medical resident in New York. Sometime in
1965, Rutger's investigators Virginia Livingston, M.D.
and Eleanor Alexander-Jackson PhD, fueled by Fleet and
Kerr Grants, working with sterile, post catastrophic heart
attack coronary artery specimens, established low-grade
tubercular infection, staining 'acid-fast' (not decolorized
with acid-alcohol) in all ischemic heart disease specimens
[32].
Even in stained slides of the heart muscle itself,
Livingston documented small, acid-fast globoidal
tubercular bodies which soon appeared to enter into a
gradual state of digestion (Ibid).
In 1986, Hektoen, studying how tuberculosis attacked
blood vessels of the cardiovascular system, saw the blood
born microbes implanting themselves in cardiovascular
walls. Eventually these microbes would penetrate all
layers of the arterial wall, including its muscular coat.
The offshoot led, often, to the degeneration of whole
arterial segments.[23]. Since tubercular attack came from
the inside of the vascular wall outwards, Hektoen often
spotted the initial attack as involving the intimal or
adventitial layers.
Even William Osler, arguably the greatest physician since
Hippocrates, and to this day an icon for accurate clinical
judgment, made clear that arteriosclerosis was frequently
associated with tuberculosis [42].
MacCallum's investigation [34] recognized that of all the
infectious causes of heart disease, only one, tuberculosis,
caused arteriosclerosis. At autopsy, he cited 101 cases of
advanced tuberculosis. Of these cases, there were 49
cases in children in the first decade of life - none of
which showed arterial changes. Even in the second, third
and fourth decades there were only 11 autopsies who died
of TB with moderate cardiovascular sclerosis; while 13
showed nothing. But by the fifth, sixth, seventh and
eighth decades, true to current coronary timetables, there
were only 2 autopsies with normal arteries and 26 with
TB arteriosclerosis (Ibid).
By 1972, pathologist Phillip Schwartz, once a student of
Loffler, became aware that the 'lardaceous', waxy
degeneration misnamed by Virchow as starch-like
"amyloid" (starch was called amylum), showed that
amyloid (starch-like) degeneration occurred more
frequently in elderly cardiovascular systems than
hardening and atheromatous lesions of their arteries. But
along with this, he noticed that such amyloid
degeneration, upon autopsy, usually revealed signs of
lingering pulmonary and lymph node tuberculosis [59].
Classic thought regarding atherosclerosis never was
terribly convincing. It supposedly begins with the
appearance of cholesterol and fat-laden macrophages
(white blood cells) called "foam cells". The fact that
some of these macrophages died, just added to the debris.
Macrophages died, tradition dictated, because they could
not eliminate cholesterol the way they got rid of bacteria.
They simply stuffed themselves compulsively with more
and more cholesterol, converting into the large 'foam
cells' that filled the plaques of advanced atherosclerosis.
Macrophages, then, said orthodoxy, literally ate
themselves to death at our cardiac blood vessels expense.
But there were obvious flaws to such thinking. First,
unlike with other microbes, human macrophages were not
that good at eliminating germs like tuberculosis, which in
turn kills many of them. Second cholesterol by itself,
normally the most abundant steroid in man, was on the
rise in Japanese blood during the very decade (1980/-
1989) when the incidence of coronary heart disease was
on its way down [40]. In the meantime, in the US, half
the people who had a heart attack had acceptable
cholesterol levels, including its HDL and LDL fractions.
Although cholesterol thus seemed an imperfect criterion
for determining coronary heart disease, its intimate
interaction with TB and the mycobacteria presented
extremely interesting coincidental findings. Not only
were virulent tuberculosis and the mycobacteria the only
pathogens that actually relied upon cholesterol to enter


the body's white blood cells or macrophages [17], but, it
was the Mycobacteria that in addition were able to
produce [31], esterify [29], take up, modify, accumulate
[4], and promote the deposition of and release [26] of
cholesterol.
Orthodox thought then pronounced that smooth muscle
cells of the cardiovascular system somehow responded to
fat proliferation under the influence of certain platelet
factors, which are otherwise supposed to function
exclusively in clotting, to eventually cause inflammation.
But, to many, it seemed fuzzy logic that inflammation
should occur from fat proliferation to begin with.
Livingston and Alexander- Jackson's meticulous work
clarified this, finding in all specimens, an infectious agent
behind that inflammation and fat propagation [32]. But
unfortunately, they worked as "outsiders" at a time when
women doctors and scientists weren't fully accepted.
Others Notice
A 1973 watershed study by Benditt and Benditt reported
that cells found in artherogenic plague had a monoclonal
origin, that is, they were derived from a single cell
population [6]. Confirmatory studies [43,44] prompted
the revival and legitimization of a search for an infectious
cause. But by concluding that such monoclonal origins
were caused by "Chemical mutagens or viruses or both"
Benditt and Benditt's agenda blindsided a third major
possibility- tuberculosis and the mycobacteria, each
capable of churning out its own monoclonal enzymes,
once systemic [13,45].
It was in no small part as a result of Benditt's study, much
of the world's scientific and medical community focused
on an extremely limited role for tuberculosis and the
mycobacteria in heart disease, and at the same time
seemed to purposefully marginalize studies that kept
seeping into the Index Medicus. For example, in the same
year Livingston pursued her heart work at Rutgers, the
Russians, unhindered by the American brand of
politicized medicine, began proving the link between
tuberculosis, atherosclerosis and heart disease [8,25,27,
28].
Which Infection?
Since a 1988 report of raised antibodies against
Chlamydia pneumoniae in patients with heart disease
appeared, it was hoped that the microbe might be behind
atherosclerosis [21,41,50]. Hurting this hypothesis was
the low incidence of atherosclerosis in the tropics despite
chlamydia's high frequency there [52].
Also Loehe and Bittman concluded that although
Chlamydia, on occasions, might be present, it was not a
causative factor [33] because there was no correlation
between the severity or extent of atherosclerosis and the
involvement of chlamydial infection at the same site.
This report was in concert with Thomas [57] and Gibbs
[19]. Combined, these studies seemed to ask: What if
Chlamydia pneumoniae was just a passenger bacteria, a
friendly bystander? And when, in 1995, MC Sutter's
editorial Lessons For Atherosclerotic Research From
Tuberculosis And Peptic Ulcer, warned we might be
overlooking the role of a microorganism in athero-
sclerosis, he did not have chlamydia specifically in mind
[53]. Nevertheless, statistics showed that people who
used a lot of antibiotics had less heart attacks, and so by
2000 the CDC found that 14% of the cardiologists in
Alaska and West Virginia treated heart patients with
antibiotics for angina, heart attacks, angioplasty or after
by-pass surgery.
And certain antibiotics did seem to work, but the question
was their efficacy based upon their anti-Chlamydial
activity? Azithromycin, for example has a documented, if
moderate activity against certain mycobacteria as well.
Something More Conclusive
As the millennium approached, something much more
irrefutable was happening. Xu had previously been found
that injecting rabbits with normal cholesterol with protein
from TB resulted in atherosclerotic changes [61]. Now
George and Shoenfeld were implicating these very same
proteins in not only the origin of the atherosclerosis in
cardiovascular blood vessels but of fatty streak formation
there as well [18]. In the meantime, Mukherjee and De
Benedictis showed that an increase in antibodies against
such tubercular proteins somehow already in the body
was actually associated with re-stenosis or future closure
of coronary vessels [37]. By 2000, it became obvious to
Afek that mice injected with high doses of such
tuberculoproteins developed significantly larger areas of
atherosclerosis despite the fact that their diet was devoid
of high fat content [1]. Revisiting this subject, Xu, also
using the same tubercular protein (HSP-65), proved the
same thing in New Zealand white rabbits [62]. In Xu's
study, such rabbits with normal serum cholesterol
injected with the TB preparation led to the formation of
all the classic features of arteriosclerosis in humans - the
inflammatory cell accumulation and the smooth cell
proliferation (Ibid) that Livingston and Alexander-
Jackson had decades ago attributed to tuberculosis.
In fact, the only finding missing from Xu's study using
normal cholesterolemic animals were "foam cells": tissue
macrophages in which tuberculosis not only lived but
thrived in, capable of ingesting material that dissolved
during tissue preparation, especially lipids. However, this


missing piece of the puzzle was soon remedied when in
addition to tuberculous proteins his animals were given a
cholesterol rich diet, at which point Xu saw all the lesions
found in classic human heart disease, including foam
cells. Obviously, tuberculoproteins were overwhelming
the systems macrophages, not allowing them to get rid of
ingested fat.
When Man Thinks - Heaven Laughs
There was also incriminating epidemiologic evidence.
The higher incidence of coronary heart disease in young
males had a remarkable parallel in bacterial diseases such
as TB [52]. And the association between low
socioeconomic status and coronary disease found
common ground with the incidence of tuberculosis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
maps for the total cardiovascular disease and death rates
across the country [10] bore a conspicuous similarity to
state and regional incidence for CDC TB case rates maps
in the United States [9]. In addition, the statins, among
the most popular drugs in America (Lipitor, Lescol),
though inhibitors of Coenzyme-A compound (HMG-CoA
or 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase) and as
such lowered serum cholesterol levels, did much more.
Specifically, when macrophages were depleted of
cholesterol by such pharmacological treatment,
mycobacteria such as tuberculosis could not enter the
macrophage TB liked to house in, thrive in and depend
upon [17]. Furthermore, this block of macrophage uptake
with cholesterol depletion was specific only for
tuberculosis and the mycobacteria and no other pathogen.
In other words, cholesterol played a crucial role in
tuberculosis's establishment of intracellular infection
leading both to the long term survival of the germ and the
death of 1.9 million people a year.
The large British heart protection study took many by
surprise when they learned that even lowering "normal"
cholesterol levels lowered heart disease risk [12]. This
led again to speculation that there must be some other
risk factor involved besides cholesterol itself. Lead-
author Collins countered that the reason for his study's
finding was that even what we call "normal" cholesterol
values are too high, but it is just as easily posited that the
lower the blood cholesterol the less likely there is to be
chronic mycobacterial infection which would also be of
benefit derived from lower than normal cholesterol
levels.
It is hardly a coincidence that studies have shown that
statins, which indirectly decrease mycobacterial disease,
also lower C-reactive protein (CRP). C-reactive protein
is an age-old, non-specific protein, first identified in
1930, and then found in the serum of various persons
with certain inflammatory and degenerative diseases
[48]. Recently an elevated CRP has been touted as an
excellent marker for the approximately 25 million US
patients that have none of the risk factors associated with
heart disease, yet are at risk for a heart attack.
However CRP and elevated sedimentation rate have long
been excellent markers of active tuberculosis [22], CRP
being present at all times when erythrocyte
sedimentation rate (ESR) is elevated but returning to
normal faster than ESR as tuberculosis, once treated,
becomes inactive. Indeed CRP is a sensitive indicator of
the activity of tuberculosis [5].
Researchers have even tried to neatly tie in excessive
weight and its fat cells to indirectly increasing C-
reactive protein (CRP) by dumping interleukin-6 (IL-6)
into the blood, which, in turn supposedly promotes an
inflammatory response, key to signaling the liver, and
perhaps the arterial walls themselves, to churn out more
CRP. But again, and significantly, higher levels of
interleukin-6 are consistently found in either the lung
secretions [58] or serum [54] where TB resides. Russell
noted sustained release of IL-6 repeatedly issued from
human macrophages infected with TB [49], a defense
strategy the microbe uses to possibly create anergic
conditions (conditions with lowered immunity) that
prevent macrophages from killing them.
Others look towards elevated serum levels of
homocysteine, an amino acid also linked as an index of
potential heart disease, as the marker of the future even
though a homocysteine marker meta analysis appeared
in JAMA, concluding that elevated homocysteine was at
most a modest independent predictor of Ischemic Heart
Disease (IHD) in healthy populations [24]. Nevertheless
homocysteine, it is claimed by some, although not
deposited in blood vessel walls like cholesterol, can
damage the inside lining of these vessels and make
platelets more likely to clot, the scenario which
supposedly leads to stroke or heart attacks.
Homocysteine is formed from another amino acid in our
diets, methionine. But methionine is also the protein that
M. tuberculosis brings systemically into its host to
initiate its own protein synthesis [11]. Although
Homocysteine can be turned back into methionine and
its level lowered in the blood, this requires two essential
cofactors: vitamin B12 and "folate" or folic acid, both of
which can be lowered in tubercular infection, leading to
elevated homocysteine levels [35,46].
Nieto's extensive review concludes that the introduction


Continued from page 33- Heart Disease - Beyond The Stent
of antibiotic therapies in the 1940s and 1950s could have
contributed to the decline of heart disease and heart
attacks in the last few decades [39]. Although the
tetracyclines appeared in the 1950s it was only after the
introduction of the macrolides, in particular erythromycin
in the 1960s that the cardiovascular disease mortality
curve began to sink. Though it was hypothesized that
such decline was the effect of tetracycline and the
macrolides against Chlamydia pneumonae, many of the
atypical mycobacteria were also sensitive to
erythromycin and the tetracycline doxycycline [36]. Also,
the antibiotic time-curve Nieto cites excludes the actual
introduction of anti-tubercular antibiotics.
Although erythromycin is very effective against C.
pneumoniae, the microorganism may persist in the
respiratory tract despite adequate blood levels of the
antibiotic [51]. There can be no doubt that the availability
of antibiotics lowered the morbidity and mortality of
cardiovascular disease. Netter mentions that tuberculosis,
once often associated with cor pulmonale was less so
linked in recent years, probably because of the
widespread use of antibiotics and antimicrobial agents
[38].
Conclusion - Runs Silent, Runs Deep
When Nieto stressed the need to extend the possible role
of infectious agents beyond the 3 infections which have
in recent years been the focus of research: namely,
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) C. pneumonia and Helicobactor
pylori [39], was he picking Sir William Osler's brain
regarding that arteriosclerosis was frequently associated
with tuberculosis? [42]. Still many ridicule the possibility
that microbes might be the agents of arteriosclerosis.
These were the same minds that in another, far gone era,
would have jeered the possibility that syphilis in its late
stages had a special preference for the arteries and could
cause devastation of major cardiovascular vessels.
Eventually though, these minds were proven wrong. But
the lessons of syphilis are far-gone or are they?
When by 1982, keynote speaker and then Harvard
infectious disease guru Louis Weinstein addressed the
annual session of the American College of Physicians he
mentioned: "We thought initially that the disease
(tuberculosis) was disappearing, but we are now seeing
up to 27 different syndromes and extapulmonary forms,
etc. It is today's great mimic, a greater mimic than
syphilis ever was"[60].
In Atherosclerosis and Tuberculosis: Are They Both
Chronic Diseases?, after going over the many similarities
between tuberculosis and Chlamydia pneumoniae,

Anestad focuses on Norwegian 20th century statistics
in which two things become obvious.
First, that until 1945 tuberculosis was easily the leading
cause of infectious death in Norway, surpassing
cardiovascular death at the time. Second, that as the
diagnosed cases of tuberculosis fell from his statistics,
cardiovascular disease increased dramatically until
1975, when its stats too somewhat tapered [3]. At first
glance, these statistics seem unrelated even though they
are on the same bar graph. But are they? Or are we just
looking at another example of Weinstein's reference to
occult TB finding an expanded niche in the
cardiovascular system in one of its quests to become "a
greater mimic than syphilis ever was"?
In Tuberculosis in Disguise, Rab and Rahman
document cases of congestive heart failure and IHD
(Ischemic Heart Disease) with chest pain, raised
erythocyte sedimentation rate, leukocytosis and
inverted T-waves across the chest leads otherwise
indistinguishable from the real thing, which turned out
to be miliary (systemic) tuberculosis [47]. Rab and
Rahman again warned "confusion may occur because
tuberculosis can mimic so many other conditions".
Certainly with tuberculosis and for some time now, we
have a human population affected that dwarfs syphilis
in its prime. At least a staggering 1.7 million around the
globe die of tuberculosis each year, while another 1.9
billion are infected with M. tuberculosis and are at risk
for active disease[14].The World Health Organization
(WHO) estimates that 1/3 of the planet has contracted
TB.
It would take such a disease to adequately explain the
scope of cardiovascular disease, which affects about 61
million people, or almost one-forth of the population in
the US alone. Almost 6 million US hospitalizations
each year are due to cardiovascular disease.
(www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/aag/aag_cvd.htm)
The linkage of tuberculosis to acute myocardial
infarction and resulting heart attacks is nothing new
[16,30,55]; yet serious clinical trials have never been
undertaken. And one is left wondering whether the
present flurry of trials designed to simply label the
markers in the blood that TB and the mycobacteria
throw our way is ever really going to quell the near
epidemic cardiovascular disease that is presently in our
midst.
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Copyright 2009
http://www.rense.com/general87/stent.htm

Food-Borne Bacteria Causes
Potentially Fatal Heart
Infection
ScienceDaily (Jan. 26, 2011) Researchers at the
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine
have found that particular strains of a food-borne bacteria
are able to invade the heart, leading to serious and
difficult-to-treat heart infections.
The study is available online in the Journal of Medical
Microbiology. Continued on page 37


Continued from page 36 Food-Borne Bacteria Causes
Potentially Fatal Heart Infection
The bacteria Listeria monocytogenes is commonly
found in soft cheeses and chilled ready-to-eat products.
For healthy individuals, listeria infections are usually
mild, but for susceptible individuals and the elderly,
infection can result in serious illness, usually associated
with the central nervous system, the placenta and the
developing fetus.
About 10 percent of serious listeria infections involve a
cardiac infection, according to Nancy Freitag, associate
professor of microbiology and immunology and
principle investigator on the study. These infections are
difficult to treat, with more than one-third proving fatal,
but have not been widely studied and are poorly
understood.
Freitag and her colleagues obtained a strain of listeria
that had been isolated from a patient with endocarditis,
or infection of the heart.
"This looked to be an unusual strain, and the infection
itself was unusual," she said. Usually with endocarditis
there is bacterial growth on heart valves, but in this
case the infection had invaded the cardiac muscle.
The researchers were interested in determining whether
patient predisposition led to heart infection or whether
something different about the strain caused it to target
the heart.
They found that when they infected mice with either
the cardiac isolate or a lab strain, they found 10 times
as much bacteria in the hearts of mice infected with the
cardiac strain. In the spleen and liver, organs that are
commonly targeted by listeria, the levels of bacteria
were equal in both groups of mice.
Further, the researchers found that while the lab-strain-
infected group often had no heart infection at all, 90
percent of the mice infected with the cardiac strain had
heart infections. The researchers obtained more strains
of listeria, for a total of 10, and did the same
experiment. They found that only one other strain also
seemed to also target the heart.
"They infected the heart of more animals and were
always infecting heart muscle and always in greater
number," Freitag said. "Some strains seem to have this
enhanced ability to target the heart for infection."
Freitag's team used molecular genetics and cardiac cell
cultures to explore what was different about these two
strains.
"These strains seem to have a better ability to invade
cardiac cells," she said. The results suggest that these
cardiac-associated strains display modified proteins on
their surface that enable the bacteria to more easily enter
cardiac cells, targeting the heart and leading to bacterial
infection.
"Listeria is actually pretty common in foods," said
Freitag. "And because it can grow at refrigerated
temperatures, as foods are being produced with a longer
and longer shelf life, listeria infection may become more
common. In combination with an aging population that is
more susceptible to serious infection, it's important that
we learn all we can about these deadly infections."
The study was supported by a Public Health Service
Grant; by Public Health Service post-doctoral training
fellowships; and an American Heart Association
Predoctoral Fellowship.
Journal Reference:
F. Alonzo, L. D. Bobo, D. J. Skiest, N. E. Freitag. Evidence for
subpopulations of Listeria monocytogenes with enhanced
invasion of cardiac cells. Journal of Medical Microbiology,
2011; DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.027185-0
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110126144531.
htm

Ulcer-Causing Bacteria Also
May Be Associated With
Heart Disease
DALLAS, May 5 -- Infection by a particularly strong
strain of bacteria normally associated with stomach ulcers
could be a contributing factor to heart disease, according
to a report in today's Circulation: Journal of the American
Heart Association.
Italian researchers report they have found that the
association between the bacteria -- known as
Helicobacter pylori (h. pylori) -- and heart disease
appeared to depend on the strength, or virulent nature, of
the bacteria strain. In their study, the researchers found
evidence of the bacteria in 62 percent of people with
heart disease and only 40 percent of those without the
disease. "The prevalence of infection by Helicobacter
pylori was similar in patients with heart attack, unstable
chest pain, or chronic chest pain," says the study's lead
author, Vincenzo Pasceri, M.D., of the department of
internal medicine and cardiology at the Catholic
University of the Sacred Heart in Rome. "The findings
strongly suggest that the association between
Helicobacter pylori and heart disease is related to the
strength of this bacteria," he says. Though there was a
relationship between the bacteria and heart disease, the


Continued from page 37 Food-Borne Bacteria Causes
Potentially Fatal Heart Infection
controlled with antibiotics -- did not exacerbate the
severity of heart disease.
The researchers studied 88 patients who had ischemic
heart disease, which causes heart attacks and is the result
of poor blood flow to the heart. The control group
consisted of 88 patients who did not have heart disease.
Researchers say every effort was made to match the
groups by body mass index -- a measure of fatness -- and
socioeconomic class. The latter was important, Pasceri
says, because poorer people tend to get more infections
than those with more financial resources.
Even with this finding, Pasceri says that an individual
with an ulcer because of an h. pylori infection shouldn't
necessarily be examined for heart disease.
"Screening for heart disease in patients with an ulcer is
not a cost-effective strategy, although, of course, patients
should be treated for h. pylori infection to heal their
ulcer," says Pasceri. "Our results, which show that the
risk of heart disease is due only to virulent strains, allow
us to treat patients really at risk, enhancing the cost-
benefit ratio of the treatment."
The key factor seemed to be whether the bacteria
contained a gene called CagA. Heart disease affected 43
percent of people with the bacteria with the CagA gene,
compared to only 17 percent of those infected with
bacteria lacking this gene. There was no difference
between patients and controls who were infected by the
bacteria without the gene.
Pasceri says that further research needs to be done to
determine the association between h. pylori and heart
disease, but he adds that there is increasing evidence that
several chronic infections are associated with the
development of atherosclerosis in otherwise healthy
people. "It is worth noting that such infections have a
high prevalence both in Europe and the United States,"
Pasceri says. "Even a small increase in the risk of
ischemic heart disease due to these infections would
mean a huge number of heart attacks and cardiac deaths.
Prevention and treatment of these infections may be a
new strategy for the prevention of ischemic heart
disease." H. pylori is one of four organisms often
investigated for an association with heart disease. The
other three -- including Chlamydia pneumoniae,
cytomegalovirus and herpes -- cause low-grade, life-long
infections that can produce a smoldering inflammation,
the kind that leads to heart disease, according to Paul M.
Ridker, M.D., M.P.H, of Brigham and Women's Hospital
in Boston. Ridker wrote an editorial accompanying

publication of the research.
Several earlier studies suggest an association, but others
suggest none. Ridker points out that people with poor
access to medical care are more likely to develop
infections that are not treated promptly and also more
likely to suffer from heart disease. The two may not be
related, Ridker says. Ridker adds that while the data are
"provocative and interesting," additional research is
needed before any definite link can be shown.
Helicobacter pylori were discovered in 1983 by two
Australian researchers. The tiny, spiral-shaped organisms
live in the stomachs of most people but occasionally are
the cause of gastritis, the underlying condition for
stomach ulcers and some forms of cancer.
Co-authors are: Giovanni Cammarota, M.D.; Giuseppe
Patti, M.D.; Lucio Cuoco, M.D.; Antonio Gasbarrini,
M.D.; Rita L. Grillo, M.D., Giuseppe Fedeli, M.D.;
Giovanni Gasbarrini, M.D.; and Attilio Maseri, M.D.
http://scienceblog.com/community/older/1998/A/199800323.ht
ml

Continued from page 29 - Infectious Agents
and it's not known whether these infections actually
contribute to heart disease or if they are just innocent
bystanders. Any links between heart disease and other
infections that cause inflammation, such as hepatitis A
virus, herpes simplex virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and
periodontitis (gum disease), have been less frequently
studied.
Are these infections the same as heart infections?
No. Sometimes the heart muscle or the sac that surrounds
the heart may get infected by bacteria causing
myocarditis or bacterial pericarditis. This usually
happens in people with autoimmune disorders or after a
severe chest infection, but it may also be brought on by
an allergic reaction to medication. It is one of the reasons
that heart patients have to take antibiotics before having
dental work done (the bacteria can enter the bloodstream
through the cuts in your mouth and travel to the heart to
do damage). This is a separate situation and will not be
covered in this section.
How common are the 3 infections suspected of causing
heart disease?
Very common. Most people will be infected with one of
these bacteria or viruses at some point in their lives. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that
between 50% and 85% of US adults are infected with
CMV by age 40.
2
About two thirds of the world's
population have been infected with H. pylori.
3



C. pneumoniae is the most common; it infects about
half of all people by age 20 and about 75% by age 60.
4

How might these bacteria and viruses cause heart
disease?
There are two main theories to explain how these
bacteria and viruses may cause atherosclerosis
(hardening of the arteries). One is that the
bacteria/viruses themselves directly attack and damage
artery walls. The other theory is that the presence of
these bacteria or virus causes other changes in the
body, such as the release of chemicals that can
accumulate in the blood vessels and clog the arteries,
eventually leading to heart disease.
5

A third theory is that the type of infection is less
important than the number of different infections you
get, a number known as a the total pathogen burden
(bacteria and viruses are pathogens).
6
In a study of over
1,000 people with heart disease, the number of
infections a person had was directly related to their risk
of dying from heart disease. People in this study were
tested for 8 different infections, including the 3 main
suspects. Those who tested positive to more than 5
infections were nearly 5 times more likely to die or
have a heart attack than those who tested positive for
fewer than 4 infections.
7

There are other studies showing a similar connection
between the number of infections and heart disease,
8-10

but there are also some that don't, including a study of
122 healthy postmenopausal women.
11

Will these bacteria and viruses affect my risk of
heart disease?
Researchers do not yet know exactly how, or if, these
infections affect a person's risk of heart disease.
Presently, studies show an association between these
infections and heart disease, but there is little proof yet
that the infections actually cause heart disease.
Heart Disease Risk: C. pneumoniae
One study comparing about 100 men and 20 women
who had a heart attack at a young age (younger than 45
in men and 50 in women) with 120 healthy individuals
found that people infected with C. pneumoniae were
about twice as likely to have had a heart attack. If a
person was infected with both C. pneumoniae and
CMV, their risk was 12 times greater than people with
neither infection, and 5 times greater than people with
only one infection.
12
Looking at combined results from
13 studies involving more than 600 people, C.
pneumoniae bacteria was found in 52% of hardened
artery tissue samples taken from people with heart

disease, but only 5% of artery tissue samples taken from
people without heart disease.
1

Heart Disease Risk: H. pylori
There is less evidence that H. pylori affects your risk of
heart disease. In general, studies that reported an
association were small and not very rigorous. Larger
studies have found either no connection or only a weak
connection between this bacteria and heart disease.
1, 13

Heart Disease Risk:Cytomegalovirus
There have only been a few studies on cytomegalovirus
in people with heart disease. The results have been
mixed. Among more than 1,000 people in the
Framingham Heart Study (62% were women), there was
no increased risk of heart disease for people with CMV
antibodies.
14
However, another study of over 230 people,
including 87 women, found that women with CMV were
more likely to have heart disease as those who did not
have this virus. In men, CMV was associated with
inflammation markers such as CRP that have been linked
to heart disease.
15
In a study of 400 seemingly healthy
people (more than half were women), those who tested
positive for CMV were more likely to have signs of
damaged blood vessels. Their blood vessels also did not
widen very much in response to nitroglycerin, a
medication used to relieve chest pain.
16
In a study of
nearly 1,000 people with heart disease (28% were
women), those who tested positive for CMV (but not H.
pylori or C. pneumoniae) were more likely to die of any
cause during the following 3 years.
17
How are infectious agents tested for?
Usually through a blood test. If you have been infected
with these bacteria or viruses, your body will make
antibodies against them. Antibodies are your immune
system's customized weaponry for fighting infections
each antibody is made to fight a specific kind of
infection. After your body has fought off the infection,
the antibodies often stay in your blood so that the
infection can be recognized and attacked if it reappears.
Doctors can tell if you are infected or have been infected
in the past with any viruses or bacteria by testing your
blood for the specific antibodies.
The 3 types of bacteria and viruses suspected of having a
role in heart disease are not routinely tested for to
determine heart disease risk. You would only be tested
for them if you presented symptoms of the ailments that
they commonly cause.
H. pylori: Diagnosing infection with H. pylori
involves taking a blood sample, stool sample, a tissue
biopsy of the stomach lining, or a breath test
(depending on your healthcare provider's orders).


You may be tested if you have a peptic ulcer (a
sore in the lining of the stomach or small intestine).
C. pneumoniae: A blood test may be given if you
have symptoms of bronchitis, sinusitis, or
pneumonia.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV): A CMV test might be
ordered if you are a young adult, a pregnant female,
or an immune-compromised patient and have flu-
or mononucleosis-type symptoms such as fatigue,
swollen lymph nodes, and fever.
Can I prevent myself from being infected?
These bacteria and viruses are very common so there is
little you can do to protect yourself. Most people will
be infected at some point in their lives. There is not yet
enough evidence to support taking antibiotics as a
preventive measure against heart disease. Currently,
there are two large trials underway to better understand
if treating these infections can reduce a person's risk of
heart disease.
How are these infections treated?
In many cases you won't receive any treatment because
you will not even notice that you are infected with
these bacteria and viruses. They often have no obvious
symptoms. C. pneumoniae and H. pylori can be
successfully treated with antibiotics, usually a 7 to 14
day course. But even after treatment, these bacteria are
so common that it's possible you'll be infected again.
Because CMV is a virus, it requires an antiviral drug
called ganciclovir. While it can't cure the infection,
ganciclovir can keep the virus in its inactive state.
There is no evidence to show that treating these
infections can reduce a person's risk of heart disease.
References
1. Danesh J, Collins R, Peto R. Chronic infections and
coronary heart disease: is there a link? Lancet.
1997;350:430-436.
2. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection. National Center for
Infectious Diseases. 10/26/2002 17:45:16. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cmv.htm, 2003.
3. Helicobacter pylori and Peptic Ulcer Disease. Center for
Disease Control. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/ulcer/md.htm#howcommon. Accessed
May 1, 2006.
4. Kuo CC, Jackson LA, Campbell LA, Grayston JT.
Chlamydia pneumoniae (TWAR). Clin Microbiol Rev.
1995;8:451-461.
5. Fong IW. Emerging relations between infectious diseases
and coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis. Cmaj.
2000;163:49-56.
6. Espinola-Klein C, Rupprecht HJ, Blankenberg S, et al. Impact
of infectious burden on progression of carotid atherosclerosis.
Stroke. 2002;33:2581-2586.
7. Rupprecht HJ, Blankenberg S, Bickel C, et al. Impact of viral
and bacterial infectious burden on long-term prognosis in
patients with coronary artery disease. Circulation. 2001;104:25-
31.
8. Zhu J, Quyyumi AA, Norman JE, et al. Effects of total
pathogen burden on coronary artery disease risk and C-reactive
protein levels. Am J Cardiol. 2000;85:140-146.
9. Smieja M, Gnarpe J, Lonn E, et al. Multiple infections and
subsequent cardiovascular events in the Heart Outcomes
Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) Study. Circulation.
2003;107:251-257.
10. Espinola-Klein C, Rupprecht HJ, Blankenberg S, et al.
Impact of infectious burden on extent and long-term prognosis of
atherosclerosis. Circulation. 2002;105:15-21.
11. Ridker PM, Hennekens CH, Buring JE, Kundsin R, Shih J.
Baseline IgG antibody titers to Chlamydia pneumoniae,
Helicobacter pylori, herpes simplex virus, and cytomegalovirus
and the risk for cardiovascular disease in women. Ann Intern
Med. 1999;131:573-577.
12. Gattone M, Iacoviello L, Colombo M, et al. Chlamydia
pneumoniae and cytomegalovirus seropositivity, inflammatory
markers, and the risk of myocardial infarction at a young age.
Am Heart J. 2001;142:633-640.
13. Folsom AR, Nieto FJ, Sorlie P, Chambless LE, Graham DY.
Helicobacter pylori seropositivity and coronary heart disease
incidence. Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) Study
Investigators. Circulation. 1998;98:845-850.
14. Haider AW, Wilson PW, Larson MG, et al. The association of
seropositivity to Helicobacter pylori, Chlamydia pneumoniae,
and cytomegalovirus with risk of cardiovascular disease: a
prospective study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2002;40:1408-1413.
15. Zhu J, Shearer GM, Norman JE, et al. Host response to
cytomegalovirus infection as a determinant of susceptibility to
coronary artery disease: sex-based differences in inflammation
and type of immune response. Circulation. 2000;102:2491-2496.
16. Grahame-Clarke C, Chan NN, Andrew D, et al. Human
cytomegalovirus seropositivity is associated with impaired
vascular function. Circulation. 2003;108:678-683.
17. Muhlestein JB, Horne BD, Carlquist JF, et al.
Cytomegalovirus seropositivity and C-reactive protein have
independent and combined predictive value for mortality in
patients with angiographically demonstrated coronary artery
disease. Circulation. 2000;102:1917-1923.
http://www.hearthealthywomen.org/am-i-at-risk/infectious-
agents/infectious-agents.html


Volume 7 Issue 12 NEWSLETTER November/December 2012
FEATURED ARTICLES
Radiation Exposure and Heart Attacks in
Children of Fukushima
By Chris Busby
September 9, 2011

It is commonly supposed that exposure to radiation
causes cancer and leukemia. This is what the risk models
of the current system of radiation protection gives as the
expected end point of exposure. Thus an individual is
exposed and many years later develop cancer. For high
doses, it is conceded that there are serious deterministic
effects, ending in deaths. I want to discuss a non-cancer
result of internal exposure to the nuclide Caesium-137
which is a major long lived contaminant from nuclear
reactors, was present in the Chernobyl fallout and in the
contamination from Fukushima. I want to consider the
effects of chronic exposure of children to this substance
and how it will damage their developing hearts.
First, we do not need to speculate about this. The data is
available. Prof Yuri Bandashevsky carried out a great
deal of research on the effects of the contamination of
children in the territories of Belarus contaminated by the
Chernobyl accident. He established that children with
mean body burdens of upwards of 40Bq/kg Cs-137
suffered life-threatening cardiac problems including
arrythmias, cardiac insufficiency (angina) and heart
attacks (infarctions) which could result in death. Fig 1
below is taken from Bandashevskys contribution to the
conference of the European Committee on Radiation risk
in Lesvos, 2009, where he received the Edward Radford
Memorial Prize for his important researches. It shows
that cardiac arrhythmia anomalies measured by ECG
appear in children at contamination levels above about
20Bq/kg.
These researches, incidentally, resulted in him being sent
to jail for several years by the Belarussian government:
he only was released following massive pressure from the
European Union and the issuing to him of an EU
passport. The question I wish to briefly address is how
this could occur, what is the mechanism?
Modeling the heart of a child
According to ICRP reference human data the mass of a
childs heart at age 5 is 220g, the tissue alone weighs
85g. The heart is a critical organ and an amazing one. It
must pump continuously for the lifespan of the
individual. The cardiac myocyte is the most physically
energetic cell in the body, contracting constantly,
without tiring, 3 billion times or more in an average
human lifespan. By coordinating its beating activity
with that of its 3 billion neighbours in the main pump
of the human heart, over 7,000 litres of blood are
pumped per day, without conscious effort, along
100,000 miles of blood vessels (Severs 2000). The
number of muscle cells in a heart are known to be 3 x
10
9
. Their cylindrical dimensions are approximately
100-150 long and 20-35 diameter. They cannot be
replaced, except very slowly, at a rate of about 1% per
year, so damage to the cells is, as all heart attack
victims know, very serious.
If there are 3 x 10
9
cells in a human heart, in a
childrens heart where the mass of tissue is 85g, the cell
density is 3.5 x 10
10
cells per kilogram.
It has been known for many years that the nuclide Cs-
137 is concentrated in muscle. Let us introduce
50Bq/kg of Cs-137 into this heart muscle tissue. This is
50 tracks per second from the Cs-137 beta particle and
maybe another 20 tracks per second from the gamma
ray decay of the daughter Ba-137m. This is 70 tracks
per second. Each track intercepts about 400 cells. For a
child chronically contaminated at this level through
living on Cs-137 contaminated areas for one year, the
number of tracks is simply 70x 60x60x24x365 = 2.2 x
10
9
tracks per kilogram per year. This means that the
number of cells hit by a radiation electron track, per
kilogram is 8.8 x 10
11
.
For this model we immediately see that every heart cell
will be hit by a radiation track about 25 times. If only 1
percent of these tracks caused the cell to die, it means


Continued from page 41- Radiation Exposure and Heart
Attacks in Children of Fukushima
that the childs heart would lose 25% percent of its
functional capability: all the cells would be dead. The
necrosis would lead to conduction problems, just like it
does in old people, and cardiac arrythmias and heart
attacks would ensue. It must be noted that heart muscle
cannot regenerate itself except very slowly, indeed it was
originally though that heart cells could not replace
themselves. Following discovery that Carbon-14 from
the 60s atmospheric tests was incorporated into hearts, it
was seen that there was a 1% replacement per year.
So we see that the heart is the critical organ in the body.
The cells when damaged cannot be repaired. This is why
the children of Chernobyl have been developing cardiac
problems and dying. It is why the adult population of
Belarus has been developing cardiac problems and dying
Fig 2, Fig 3 [ Bandashevsky 2011].

Fig 1 Number of children without ECG modifications as
a function of Cs-137 concentration in the organism
(Bandashevsky and Bandashevsky).

Fig 2 The dynamics of cardiovascular diseases in the
Republic of Belarus

Fig 3 Structure of the causes of death in Belarus, 2008
Fukushima
We have recently heard that children in the Fukushima
contamination area have been suffering heart attacks.
This is therefore a predictable development and is a
consequence of internal contamination of heart muscle
with Caesium-137 and other radionuclides. In view of
the seriousness of this development the ECRR
committee has decided to release the Bandashevsky
presentation at its 2009 Lesvos conference
[www.euradcom.org].
Implications for those living on the Fukushima
contaminated territories
These considerations make it a matter of urgency to
begin to carry out clinical investigations and ECG
measure-ments on children living in the contaminated
territories and ingesting or inhaling Cs-137. Any child
found to have cardiac anomalies should be immediately
evacuated to clean territory. If it is found that any
children are suffering cardiac problems it must be a
matter of urgency to evacuate all the children.
Implications for radiation risk assessment
The concentration on cancer and leukemia as an end
point for epidemiological studies of radiation risk is a
flawed approach since cancer rates with age have a
different trend to heart and circulatory system rates.
This problem is clear when retrospective studies of
radiation victims are carries out but have not been
considered by those using these methods to develop or
underpin risk coefficients. Examples include nuclear
test veterans, and radium and thorotrast exposed
cohorts. The point simply made is that if you die of a
heart attack you do not develop cancer.
This syndrome is clear for Belarus in Fig 3 and has
significant implications for health care in the
Fukushima case. The broad spectrum non specific
ageing effects of internal nuclide exposures, described


Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster. In 2001 the
infant mortality was 6.834 per 1000 live births,
increasing to 6.845 in 2007. All years from 2002 to
2007 were higher than the 2001 rate.
Spewing from the Fukushima reactor are radioactive
isotopes including those of iodine (I-131), strontium
(Sr-90) and cesium (Cs-134 and Cs-137) all of which
are taken up in food and water. Iodine is concentrated
in the thyroid, Sr-90 in bones and teeth and Cs-134 and
Cs-137 in soft tissues, including the heart. The unborn
and babies are more vulnerable because the cells are
rapidly dividing and the delivered dose is
proportionally larger than that delivered to an adult.
Data from Chernobyl, which exploded 25 years ago,
clearly shows increased numbers of sick and weak
newborns and increased numbers of deaths in the
unborn and newborns, especially soon after the
meltdown. These occurred in Europe as well as the
former Soviet Union. Similar findings are also seen in
wildlife living in areas with increased radioactive
fallout levels.
(Chernobyl Consequences of the Catastrophe for
People and the Environment, Alexeiy V. Yablokov,
Vasily B. Nesterenko, and Alexey V. Nesterenko.
Consulting Editor: Janette D. Sherman-Nevinger. New
York Academy of Sciences, 2009.)
Levels of radioisotopes were measured in children who
had died in the Minsk area that had received Chernobyl
fallout. The cardiac findings were the same as those
seen in test animals that had been administered Cs-
137. Bandashevsky, Y. I, Pathology of Incorporated
Ionizing Radiation, Belarus Technical University,
Minsk. 136 pp., 1999. For his pioneering work, Prof.
Bandashevsky was arrested in 2001 and imprisoned for
five years of an eight year sentence.
The national low-weight (under 2500 grams, or 5.5
lbs) rate has risen 23% from 1984 to 2006. Nearly
400,000 infants are born under 2500g each year in the
U.S. Most of the increase in infant mortality is due
specifically to infants born weighing less than 750
grams (I lb 10 1/2 oz). Multiple births commonly
result in underweight babies, but most of the increase
in births at less than 750 grams occurred among
singletons and among mothers 20-34 years of age.
(CDC, National Vital Statistics Report, 52 (12): 1-24,
2005.)
From an obstetrical point of view, women in the age
bracket 20 to 34 are those most physically able to
deliver a healthy child. So what has gone wrong?
Clues to causation are often revealed when there is a
Continued from page 42 Radiation Exposure and Heart
Attacks in Children of Fukushima
vividly by Bandashevsky, results is alarming loss of life.
This is seen in Fig 4 where the population of Belarus is
seen to have moved into negative replacement after the
Chernobyl.

Fig 4 Demographic index for the Republic of Belarus,
1950-2004 [Bandashevsky 2011].
http://1am.sakura.ne.jp/Nuclear/caesiumheart_v1.0_E.pdf

Is the Dramatic Increase in
Baby Deaths in the US a
Result of Fukushima Fallout?
By Janette D. Sherman, M. D. & Joseph Mangano
June 22, 2011
Dianuke.org
A 35% Spike in Infant Mortality in Northwest Cities since
Meltdown
U.S. babies are dying at an increased rate. While the
United States spends billions on medical care, as of 2006,
the US ranked 28th in the world in infant mortality, more
than twice that of the lowest ranked countries. (DHHS,
CDC, National Center for Health Statistics. Health United
States 2010, Table 20, p. 131, February 2011.)
The recent CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
indicates that eight cities in the northwest U.S. (Boise ID,
Seattle WA, Portland OR, plus the northern California
cities of Santa Cruz, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose,
and Berkeley) reported the following data on deaths
among those younger than one year of age:
This amounts to an increase of 35% (the total for the
entire U.S. rose about 2.3%), and is statistically
significant. Of further significance is that those dates
include the four weeks before and the ten weeks after the


Continued from page 43 Baby Deaths in the US a Result
of Fukushima Fallout?
change in incidence, a suspicious geographical
distribution, and/or an increase in hazards known to
adversely affect health and development.
The risk of having a baby with birth defects is estimated
at three to four of every 100 babies born. As of 2005,
the Institute of medicine estimated the cost of pre-term
births in the US at more than $2.6 billion, or $51,600
for each infant.
Low birth weight babies, born too soon and too small,
face a lifetime of health problems, including cerebral
palsy, and behavioral and learning problems placing an
enormous physical, emotional and economic burdens on
society as a whole and on those caring for them. Death
of a young child is devastating to a family.
As of June 5, 2011, The Japan Times reported that
radiation in the No. 1 plant was measured at 4,000
milliseverts per hour. To put that in perspective, a
worker would receive a maximal permissible dose in
4 minutes. In addition there are over 40,000 tons of
radioactive water under that reactor with more
radioactivity escaping into the air and sea. Fuel rods
are believed to have melted and sunk to the bottom of
reactors 1, 2, and 3.
Tepco, the corporate owner took more than two months
to confirm the meltdowns and admitted lying about the
levels of destruction and subsequent contamination,
resulting in Public Distrust. Over 100,000 tons of
radioactive waste are on the site.
Why should we care if there may be is a link between
Fukushima and the death of children? Because we need
to measure the actual levels of isotopes in the
environment and in the bodies of people exposed to
determine if the fallout is killing our most vulnerable.
The research is not technically difficult the political
and economic barriers may be greater. Bandshevsky
and others did it and confirmed the connection. The
information is available in the Chernobyl book.
(Previously cited.)
The biological findings of Chernobyl cannot be
ignored: isotope incorporation will determine the future
of all life on earth animal, fish, bird, plant and
human. It is crucial to know this information if we are
to avoid further catastrophic damage.
Source:
http://www.counterpunch.org/sherman06102011.html
http://www.dianuke.org/is-the-dramatic-increase-in-baby-
deaths-in-the-us-a-result-of-fukushima-fallout/

The Nightmare of Mercury in
Heart Tissues
Researchers at the Catholic University in Rome have tested
patients with advanced congested heart failure and found a
marked elevation of mercury in the heart tissue in the
order of a massive 22,000 times higher than normal. Because
heart tissues absorb a large percentage of mercury entering
the boy, cardiologists need to pay attention to the nightmare
of mercury toxicity that is threatening our hearts with cardiac
arrest. Soviet doctors studied workers exposed to mercury
found that the heavy metal had a profound effect on the heart,
interfering with its normal contractions, electrical
conductivity and overall regulation. They also found that
mercury accumulated in the heart tissue and valves.
Researchers in Italy found that mercury accumulated in the
heart tissue and valves even when very little is found
elsewhere in the body. Why this happens is not know, but
researchers are clear that mercury adversely affects heart
metabolism and worsens cellular function. Mercury adversely
affects the myocardium in a sub clinical manner but
eventually becomes the background basis for pathological
shifts that undermine heart health. The most noticeable shifts
are in the beat frequency and voltage.
The overall vascular effects of mercury include oxidative
stress, inflammation, thrombosis, vascular smooth muscle
dysfunction, endothelial dysfunction, dyslipidemia, high LDL
cholesterol, low HDL, high triglycerides, immune
dysfunction and mitochondrial dysfunction. The clinical
consequences of mercury toxicity include hypertension,
coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, increased
carotid IMT and obstruction, CVA, generalized
atherosclerosis, and renal dysfunction with protenuria.
Mercury blocks the action of acetylcholine, the
neurotransmitter that passes the nerve impulse from the vagus
nerve to the heart muscle. Both acetycholine and the nerve
receptors in the heart muscle contain thiol (sulfur/hydrogen)
proteins. When mercury attaches to the thiol protein in the
heart muscle receptors and in the acetylcholine, the heart
muscle cant receive the vagus nerve electrical impulse for
contractions as well as they might. Mercury accumulates in
the heart muscle and heart valves, causing damage by
attaching to thiol (SH-) proteins. This damage is indicated by
EKG and confirmed by histologic study. As mercury enters
ours bodies, if there is sufficient selenium it will mop up the
mercury before it can bind to its favourite sulphur sites or
pass through the blood-brain barrier. Selenium is excellent
antidote for mercury exposure.
http://naturalallopathiccardiology.com/cms/index.php?option=com
_content&view=article&id=115&Itemid=151


Pollution tied to Disease Risk
in L.A. black women
January 13, 2012
High Blood Pressure News

In a study of more than 4,000 black women in Los
Angeles, those who lived in areas with higher levels of
traffic-related air pollution were at increased risk of
developing diabetes and High Blood Pressure.
The researchers, led by Patricia Coogan at Boston
University, found that black women living in
neighborhoods with high levels of nitrogen oxides,
pollutants found in traffic exhaust, were 25 percent more
likely to develop diabetes and 14 percent more likely to
develop hypertension than those living in sections with
cleaner air.
Previous research has linked air pollution to health
problems such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease and even
higher rates of death.
"The public health implications are huge, said Dr. Jiu-
Chiuan Chen, who studies the effects of air pollution at
the University of Southern California Keck School of
Medicine in Los Angeles, especially for black women,
who have higher rates of diabetes and High Blood
Pressure than white women. He was not involved in the
current work.
Forty-four percent of all black women in the U.S. have
High Blood Pressure and about 11 percent have diabetes
compared with 28 percent and roughly seven percent,
respectively, of white women, according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.
Evidence suggests that longer-term exposure to air
pollutants over years confers higher risks of
cardiovascular morbidity and mortality than shorter term
exposure. One explanation is that cumulative adverse
effects that develop over longer durations lead to the
genesis of chronic disease. Preliminary epidemiological
and clinical evidence suggest that air pollution may
contribute to the development hypertension and type 2
diabetes.
In a study of more than 4,000 black women in Los
Angeles, those who lived in areas with higher levels of
traffic-related air pollution were at increased risk of
developing diabetes and High Blood Pressure.
The researchers, led by Patricia Coogan at Boston
University, found that black women living in
neighborhoods with high levels of nitrogen oxides,
pollutants found in traffic exhaust, were 25 percent
more likely to develop diabetes and 14 percent more
likely to develop hypertension than those living in
sections with cleaner air.
Previous research has linked air pollution to health
problems such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease and
even higher rates of death.
"The public health implications are huge, said Dr. Jiu-
Chiuan Chen, who studies the effects of air pollution at
the University of Southern California Keck School of
Medicine in Los Angeles, especially for black women,
who have higher rates of diabetes and High Blood
Pressure than white women. He was not involved in the
current work.
Forty-four percent of all black women in the U.S. have
High Blood Pressure and about 11 percent have
diabetes compared with 28 percent and roughly seven
percent, respectively, of white women, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Evidence suggests that longer-term exposure to air
pollutants over years confers higher risks of
cardiovascular morbidity and mortality than shorter
term exposure. One explanation is that cumulative
adverse effects that develop over longer durations lead
to the genesis of chronic disease. Preliminary
epidemiological and clinical evidence suggest that air
pollution may contribute to the development
Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes.
Black Americans also experience higher levels of air
pollution than white Americans, according to the study
authors.
For their investigation, published in Circulation, the
researchers followed participants in the ongoing Black
Womens Health Study for 10 years. The women were
mainly recruited from subscribers to Essence magazine,
and none had diabetes or High Blood Pressure when the
study began in 1995.
Over the course of a decade, 531 women developed
High Blood Pressure and 183 women were diagnosed
with diabetes.
The findings on their relative risks for those conditions
take into account several other potential influences,
including how heavy the women were, whether they
smoked and other stressors, including noise levels at
participants homes.
Although researchers measured average pollution levels
near participants homes for only one year of the ten-
year study, Coogan told Reuters Health that air
pollution patterns remained relatively constant over the
entire study period. Continued on page 46


Continued from page 45 Pollution tied to Disease Risk in
L.A. black women
While Coogan and her colleagues estimated nitrogen
oxide concentrations near participants homes, they did
not account for commuting habits or exposure to air
pollution at work. According to the researchers,
Americans, on average, spend about 70 percent of their
time at home.
In addition to measuring nitrogen oxides, a proxy for
traffic pollution, the researchers evaluated levels of fine
particulate matter. Many sources contribute to this type
of air pollution, including traffic, power plants and
industrial processes.
Women who lived in areas with higher fine particulate
exposures also faced an increased risk of diabetes and
High Blood Pressure, although statistically the link was
weak and could have been due to chance.
Previous reports have suggested that air pollution
particles small enough to make their way into the blood
stream may contribute to a narrowing of blood vessels,
which can lead to High Blood Pressure and reduce
sensitivity to insulin.
More research needs to be done before these results can
be generalized to all women or even all black women
living in the U.S., Coogan cautions. Earlier studies did
not find a link between air pollution and increased
incidence of diabetes or High Blood Pressure in men,
she said.
Because people dont always have control over where
they live, policy makers must recognize the dangers of
living and working in areas with high air pollution,
Chen said.
To reduce the risk of High Blood Pressure and diabetes,
he added, individuals can take steps, such as exercising,
losing excess weight, quitting smoking and limiting salt
intake. SOURCE: Circulation, online January 4, 2012
http://www.health.am/hypertension/more/pollution-tied-to-
disease-risk-in-la-black-women/

Heavy Metals and Their Link
to Heart Disease
Ron Manzanero, M.D.
Austin Integrative Medicine
The purpose of this article is to bring to light the
connection between coronary artery disease and heavy
metals like mercury and lead. The naysayers say there
is no such connection and that an old, proven therapy
like intravenous chelation therapy is bogus.
Why did I say proven? Well, because in the early
1960s, published studies in mainstream medical journals
clearly demonstrated the benefits of intravenous
administered EDTA chelation therapy in relieving
symptomatic angina chest pain due to coronary heart
disease. Clark and Mosher reported an 87% improvement
of coronary artery disease symptoms in the American
Journal of Cardiology (1960). Then, in 1963, one of the
principle investigators of this therapy did an about-face
and wrote an article stating that chelation therapy was of
no benefit for cardiovascular disease. The interesting
thing about this article was that he cited no study for his
conclusion.
I think that part of the problem with understanding
chelation therapy may have come from chelation doctors
themselves. Since its inception and for many decades
afterwards, it was the belief that chelation therapy
worked simply because it was binding to calcium in
hardened atherosclerotic plaque and dissolving the
blockage in the arteries. While there was an experimental
study published in the journal Surgery in 1962 by Wilder
showing that disodium EDTA was releasing calcium
from plaque, there has not, at least to my understanding,
been a long term study proving this as the true
mechanism for chelation therapy.
In todays prevailing medical ideology, coronary heart
disease is simply due to excess LDL cholesterol and
that all one needs is a high dose of a statin drug such as
Lipitor or Crestor, as advertised on television. If this were
the truth, why have people benefited from chelation
therapy over the past 4 decades, and why are there more
and more articles discussing the link between heavy
metals and coronary heart disease and even worse
cardiovascular mortality? Lets explore this.
The first thing to understand, in my opinion, is that
disease is often due to excess inflammation and to
oxidation that is out of control. The fact that this concept
was first published in 1957 in the Journal of Gerontology
by Dr. Denhan Harman is interesting because this
concept underlies the benefits of chelation therapy as well
as of statin drug use and both their benefits in coronary
artery disease therapy.
Lets first consider the following few articles regarding
toxic heavy metals. Please bear in mind that the metals in
consideration are matters of disease causation from
chronic micro-dose exposure, not from the massive-dose
exposure that most people and doctors imagine, as if
someone drank a gallon of leaded paint.


Continued from page 46 Heavy Metals and Their Link to
Heart Disease
The first article from the March 26, 2003 issue of the
Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 289,
No. 12 by Nash, et al, it is shown that women in their 40s
and 50s, who are moving from peri-menopause to early
menopause and who were in the upper half of the normal
blood lead level, had a statistically significant higher
incident rate of elevated blood pressure compared to
those women who were in the lower half of the normal
lead level. The article then clearly discusses the
mechanism of how lead, which is stored and later
released from our bones as we age, will enter the blood
stream and deposit in arteries, thus inhibiting the
relaxation and dilation of these very arteries. The end
result is a more narrowed artery. If youve ever tried to
suck through a skinny straw versus a wide fat straw,
youve probably noticed that it required more force to do
so. Likewise, your heart has to exert more pressure and
force to pump blood through narrowed arteries versus
wider dilated arteries. (Many of our prescription drugs
lower blood pressure by causing a relaxation of the
arteries!)
A key point of this article is that the lead levels that
caused hypertension were in the standard normal
range. Clearly, it does not require massive dose
exposure to bring about a toxic effect from this heavy
metal. This hypertension is a result of normal bone aging
and thinning causing a release of stored lead from the
bones in microgram doses. I also found it interesting that
nowhere in the article do the authors indicate the
approved therapy for lead detoxification, which is
intravenous EDTA chelation. I guess theyre content to
prescribe another drug, which only treats the number but
doesnt really get to the root of the problem.
Before going on, I should add that our body is exposed to
environmental heavy metals like lead and mercury from
our drinking water, food, dental amalgams, old leaded
paints, and largely from atmospheric contamination from
coal burning plants, the vast majority occurring in China.
(Texas also has its share of coal burning plants.) The
body attempts to eliminate these heavy metals via its own
chelating molecule, glutathione. But unfortunately, much
of the heavy metals are stored in connective tissue like
our bones. This explains why, in the above study, the
women were getting more micro-dose exposure of lead
from their own osteopenia, or thinning of the bones!
The journal Circulation (2006; 114: 1388-1394) explored
the relationship between blood lead levels above 10
micrograms/dL and illness and concluded that lead
exposures remain a significant determinant of cardio-

vascular mortality in the general population, constituting
a major health problem. (Emphasis mine)
The standard lead range in many laboratories is normal
up to 25 or even 50 mcg/dL! Again, I point out that the
article failed to discuss how intravenous EDTA chelation
therapy is the approved therapy for lead removal from the
body. A similar statement was made in the April 2009
issue of Environmental Health regarding lead:
Lead is a multi-targeted toxicant, affecting cardio-
vascular, renal, and nervous systems and may contribute
to morbidity and mortality (Emphasis mine)
The conclusion of this article was that older women with
higher concentrations of blood lead might be at higher
risk for death from coronary artery disease. Again, we see
a correlation between lead in microgram doses and
cardiovascular disease and mortality.
A more recent study published in Circulation (2009; 120:
1056-1064) by Weisskopf, et al, also concludes that
blood lead levels have been associated with increased
mortality due to cardiovascular disease. The article
very importantly makes the distinction that the lead
exposure is a cumulative result over years of exposure
versus the sudden massive dose toxicity we all think of
when we hear the word toxicity. They point to the
notion that serum blood testing may have severe
limitations on accurately diagnosing total body
concentration of lead and propose the idea of using bone
x-rays as an alternative and more accurate way to
determine lead accumulation. (Blood serum levels only
show what is floating through the blood stream, not what
is buried in the bodys tissues.)
The principle investigator, Dr. Weisskopf states:
The findings with bone lead are dramatic. It is the first
time we have a biomarker of cumulative exposure to lead
and the strong findings suggest that past exposures to
lead represent an important predictor of cardiovascular
death (Emphasis mine)
It was also found that men with the highest level of bone
lead concentrations were at a six times higher risk for
cardiovascular disease compared to men with the lowest
lead levels. What might the reasons be for lead and this
link to cardiovascular death? According to the authors,
there are several mechanisms, one being an increase in
oxidative stress from the lead. In the 1957 article I quoted
that disease and aging is a problem of inflammation and
oxidation. Oxidation is what causes iron to rust.
Oxidation is what causes our LDL, bad cholesterol, to
become problematic. Oxidation can cause blood vessel
inflammation and atherogenic disease.


Continued from page 47 Heavy Metals and Their Link to
Heart Disease
Lastly, I dont want to leave the toxic metal mercury out
of the discussion. There was a press release in May 30,
2007 from the Ohio State University Medical Centers
lipid studies center announcing that mercurys link to
heart disease can be traced to activation of [an enzyme]
which triggers a process leading to plaque buildup in
blood vessel walls (also published in the International
Journal of Toxicology). (Emphasis mine.)
To summarize, we live in a toxic world with daily
environmental exposures to lead and mercury, as well as
a host of other toxic metals and poisons, which
biologically accumulate in the body, especially in our
bones. As we begin to age, there is a process of normal
bone thinning which releases micro-doses of these toxic
metals back into the blood stream and tissues. The end
effects of this re-exposure are in the multitudes,
however, for the purpose of this article and the topic of
chelation therapy for cardiovascular disease, Id like to
highlight the following tidbits:
Lead is proven to cause blood vessel narrowing and
hypertension (AMA Journal)
Lead is proven to be a causative factor for death due
to cardiovascular disease (Circulation Journal,
Environmental Health)
Lead causes oxidative destruction (Circulation
Journal)
Mercury can trigger plaque formation in the
coronary arteries (International Journal of
Toxicology)
Given that the original studies on EDTA chelation were
proven to have a benefit by relief of angina in patients
with cardiovascular disease and given that the FDA-
approved therapy for lead detoxification is EDTA
chelation therapy, perhaps mainstream medicine needs
to reconsider their flawed notion that chelation is a
useless treatment for heart disease. By todays standard
of medical care, lead and mercury are not even on the
radar screen! Yet, by the above studies it is clear that
lead and mercury do play a role in not only
cardiovascular disease, but also cardiovascular
mortality! It is my contention, as well as that of
thousands of other doctors worldwide that EDTA
chelation still should play a significant role in the
treatment of coronary artery disease. The mechanism of
benefit is probably that of heavy metal removal and not a
rotor-rooter effect of calcium removal. In an already
diseased and narrowed artery from atherosclerosis, the
relief of angina symptoms as proven in the 1960s
studies on EDTA could have been because of lead re-
moval from the arteries and subsequent increase in blood
vessel diameter and improved blood flow dynamics.
Also, one has to consider the reduction in oxidative
damage to the arteries and cholesterol by steady removal
of lead and mercury. One of the more current
understandings of statin cholesterol drug benefits is their
anti-inflammatory effect. It remains to be proven that
massive lowering of LDL and total cholesterol extends
life. In fact, considering that our natural anabolic (build,
repair, restore) hormones like testosterone and estrogen all
derive from cholesterol, we might be doing more harm
than good in the current severe lowering of total
cholesterol as practiced by pharmaceutical driven
mainstream medicine. Cholesterol is required in optimal
brain neurotransmitter functioning and this may explain
why there is an ever-increasing occurrence of elderly
individuals who suffer from a statin drug cognitive
dysfunction syndrome.
It is my opinion that intravenous EDTA chelation therapy,
along with other complimentary types of therapy, need to
be one part of the overall plan of optimally treating
cardiovascular disease. The above studies, while not
clinical trials on chelation therapy, are highly suggestive
that toxic metals like lead and mercury are causative
factors in heart disease and that some form of chelation
therapy would be beneficial. Indeed, it is the anecdotal
evidence of people receiving benefit from chelation
therapy over a time span of 50 years that supports this.
http://aimmd.com/articles/heavy-metals-and-their-link-to-heart-
disease/

The Cesium Deception: Why
the Mainstream Media is
mostly reporting Iodine
Levels, not Radioactive
Cesium
By Mike Adams
(NaturalNews April 07, 2011) Virtually all the numbers
you're seeing about the radioactivity coming out of
Fukushima are based on iodine-131 which only has a half-
life of 8 days, not the far more dangerous cesium-137
which has a half-life of 30 years. So while the mainstream
media reports that "radiation levels are falling rapidly"
from the 7.5 million times reading taken a few days ago,
what they're not telling you is that the cesium-137
radioactivity will take 30 years just to fall by 50 percent.


Continued from page 48 The Cesium Deception
It's the great global cover-up in all this: What happens to
all the radioactive cesium being dumped into the ocean
right now? It doesn't just burn itself out in a few months
like iodine-131. This stuff sticks around for centuries.
As part of the cover story, the FDA now says it will test
"all imported food products coming from Japan"
(http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/04/05/fukushima-
dumping-into-th...). This claim is, of course, ridiculous on
its face. Even without this Fukushima emergency in the
works, the FDA only tests a tiny fraction of all the food
imported into the USA. This agency has no existing
infrastructure under which it could test ALL the food
being imported from Japan. The very idea is ludicrous.
As this ABC News story reveals, the FDA says it's
"really stretched" just to inspect a mere two percent of
imported food: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/radiation-
japans-fish-raise-concerns-wor...
The FDA likes radiation!
Even if the FDA could magically test all the food being
imported from Japan, what allowable level of radiation
would the FDA claim was "safe" in those foods anyway?
Remember, this is the agency that has long supported
the mass irradiation of the U.S. food supply as a way
to kill e.coli and salmonella.
For all we know, FDA bureaucrats equate radiation with
safety and might actually declare radioactive seafood
from Japan to be safer than non-radioactive food
because, they would say, the radiation "kills salmonella."
Why eating radioactive food is FAR more dangerous
than nuclear fallout
The other element in all this that's hardly being reported
in the press is that when you eat radioactive food, the
threat to your health increases exponentially. That's
because internal radiation is far more deadly to your
body than external radiation. It all comes down to the
law of the inverse square of the distance between you
and the radiation source.
A speck of radioactive dust that's one meter away from
you, for example, is twice as dangerous as that same
speck four meters away. But if you eat that radioactive
speck (because it's part of a fish you're consuming, for
example), then suddenly it's inside your body. So now it
might only be a millimeter away from your internal
tissues, meaning you've decreased the distance between
you and the radiation source by one thousand times.
Because if the law of the inverse square of the distance,
you have now magnified the radiation intensity by one
million times (because one million is the square of one
thousand).
So a speck of radiation that might have been a "low level"
if it were floating around in the air around you can
suddenly become fatal if you consume it. And that's what
people are now facing with Japan's seafood. Yet
everybody is being told that it's all perfectly safe, no
problem, no worried, don't even think about it.
Where does the radiation go in your body?
We're all being lied to about the "safety" of
radioactive food, you see. And there's more to it than
what has been discussed here, actually: If a fish takes in
radioactive cesium and it gets distributed throughout the
body of that fish in the way that potassium would
normally get distributed (because cesium follows nearly
the same biological pathways as potassium), then the
radioactive cesium has become part of the fish flesh.
When you eat that fish, your body breaks down the fish
tissues, then reabsorbs the cesium into your own body,
distributing the cesium into your own muscle tissues
where potassium would normally go. You are what you
eat, after all. And if you eat radioactive cesium, then you
quickly become a walking radioactive dirty bomb from
the inside.
If it's invisible, it must be safe
They don't tell you that on CNN, folks. I'm willing to bet
their "info babe" news models don't even have a clue
about the laws of physics in the first place. So while
they're all telling you that eating irradiated seafood from
Japan is perfectly safe, the truth is that it could very well
be quite deadly if you're eating fish that contain high
levels of cesium.
So you might wonder, then, are fish being detected with
cesium in their tissues? You bet they are! You'll find the
details in these news stories:
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/connectasia/stories/201104/s3
183678.... and
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/news/20110406p2a0
0m0na008000c...
The extremely high levels of radiation even have the
local fishermen freaked out. "I can't go out to fish
because of the radiation," one Japanese fisherman told
ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/radiation-japans-
fish-raise-concerns-wor...).
But don't worry, we're told. It's all safe to eat. The FDA is
in charge, after all. And remember what governments
always say about radiation and chemicals: If it's
invisible, it MUST be safe!
http://www.naturalnews.com/031992_radioactive_cesium.html


Hypertension: Heavy Metals,
Useful Cations and Melanin
as a Possible Repository
By Pfeiffer CC and Mailloux RJ.
Princeton Brain Bio Center, Skillman, New Jersey
08558
Abstract
Popular belief has often attributed the disproportionate
occurrence of hypertension in blacks to the increased
social stresses faced by the minority population.
Evidence now points to a more biologically relevant
explanation of black hypertension, an increase in levels
of heavy metals. Preferentially bound to melanin,
cadmium, lead, and copper have implications not only in
the etiology of black hypertension, but in the etiology of
all hypertension. Of course, hypertension is
heterogeneous by nature and cannot be attributed solely
to any single cause. However, the indictment of the
heavy metals, as well as a deficiency of other cations
such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, warrants a
more nutritional approach and less reliance on current
pharmacological therapy in selected cases. Melanin
should be investigated as a storage bank for useful
cations. If real, such a cation reservoir would explain the
heat tolerance capacity of blacks and other dark-skinned
tropical races.
Med Hypotheses. 1988 Jun;26(2):125-30, PMID: 3412202
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3412202

Melanin May Be Bodys
Natural Defence against
Obesity-related Diseases
November 7, 2008
Top News
A team of American researchers has for the first time
observed the production of large quantities of melanin in
fat tissues among extremely obese people undergoing
weight loss surgery.
Melanin is a pigment that gives the skin, the hair, and
the iris of the eye their natural colour.
Ancha Baranova, an assistant professor in the
Department of Molecular and Microbiology at George
Mason University, claims that melanin production has
never before been identified in fat tissue.
She believes that the antioxidant, which has been shown

to have anti-inflammatory properties, could be the bodys
natural defence against obesity-related conditions such as
type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, fatty liver
disease, polycystic ovary syndrome and some cancers.
Stockpiling extra calories is difficult even for
specialized fat cells; having too much lipid molecules
takes its toll on the fat cells, producing oxidative stress,
she says.
Its not unthinkable that these cells would adapt and
produce melanin as a form of self-protection. As a side
benefit, melanin may suppress inflammatory properties of
the extra pounds of the fat, she adds.
Ancha agrees that a larger study is needed to confirm the
role that the bodys production of this compound plays in
fat tissue, but insists that her teams two-year study
suggests that melanin-based therapies may someday be
used to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases among
the morbidly obese. This opens an entirely new avenue
for medical interventions because the process of
biosynthesis of melanin is relatively easy to meddle with.
We hope that this study will spur the development of
preventive medications aimed at curtailing devastating
metabolic complications in obese and overweight
populations, she says.
The study was conducted in collaboration with
researchers from INOVA Fairfax Hospital and the
National Cancer Institute. Its findings appear in the
current Web edition of the FASEB Journal, and will be
published in the March 2009 print edition. (ANI)
http://www.topnews.in/health/melanin-may-be-
body%E2%80%99s-natural-defence-

The heart of the wise man lies quiet like limpid
water. ~ Cameroon proverb
A letter from the heart can be read on the face. -
Kiswahili
The man may be the head of the home but the wife is
the heart. Kenya (Gikuyu)
The best part of happiness lies in the secret heart of
a lover. - (African Proverb).
One thread for the needle, one love for the heart.
Sudan
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the heart.
Therefore, is winged cupid painted blind.
William Shakespeare


Volume7, Issue 12 NEWSLETTER November/December 2012
FEATURED ARTICLES
KEMETIC MEDICINE
By Sehu Khepera Ankh
Kemetic Yoga Association
This is a brief overview of Ancient Egyptian Medicine
and in no way represents an exhaustive study of the
subject. For more on Kemetic Medicine contact Sehu
Khepera Ankh.
Ancient Egyptian Medicine is as old as the civilization
itself which encompassed all areas of holistic and
specialty medicine. From the latest geological dating of
the Sphinx (Hor em Akhet) monument we can
reasonably deduce that the healing arts were established
in Egypt by at least 10,000 BCE.
The unique feature of Ancient Egyptian Medicine is its
reliance on the mystical and metaphysical skill of the
physician (Sunnu(t)). Despite its emphasis on energetic
theories and practices, it was no less scientific in its
pharmacopeia and surgical procedures. The Edwin
Smith Surgical Papyrus demonstrates the medical
scientific and surgical techniques, mostly associated
with the brain, face and skull, of the ancient priest/ess
doctors.
Due to the sophistication of the olden civilization it was
significant that an equal as sophisticated medical
system be devised and this is exemplified in the vast
pharmacopeia and healing modalities all of which were
gained from plants, herbs, shrubs and fauna. James
Henry Breasted, an Egyptologist who worked during
the late 1800s stated, The current conclusion
regarding the Ancient Egyptian, a conclusion in which
myself heretofore shared, has been that he was
interested in scientific principles, if at all, solely
because of the unavoidable necessity of applying them
in practical life.
This scientific emphasis is found in the manner in
which they performed complex surgeries such as, for
example, trephination and the setting of broken bones.
These techniques are still used today by modern
medicine doctors and so in many cases what seems like
modern medical discoveries of the Greek period were
already being used some thousands of years before the

Greek period in North East Africa (10,000BCE).
There was a skilled approach in combining more hidden or
esoteric healing practices with purely empirical and
scientific measures. In the Lure of Medical History-
Pharmacy of Ancient Egypt it states the Egyptian medical
practice was of two orders:
(1) The Superior, or Magic, consisting of incantations,
prayers for the removal of sortileges, and commentaries on
oracles; and (2) the Customary Dogma or common practice.
This conceptual practice of combining incantations and
prayers (Hekau- Magical Words of Power) with empirical
procedures proved to be a very powerful combination in
healing the physical and mental sick and those that became
injured by various means. The Physicians however were
held to procedural guidelines as well and were not to rely
on their own whims but to consult the medical texts in
matters of cathartic procedure in diagnosis, treatment and
prognosis. In the book, The Old Egyptian Medical Papyri,
on page 35, Chauncey D. Leake writes, Dr. Owesi Temkin
has summarized various views on these matters, indicating
that gradual tendency to support the empirical rationality of
the Chief Egyptian medical texts. This is in accord with the
position of Herman Ranke and also of Herman Grapow.
Grapow emphasizes the differences in the medical papyri
depending upon whether they are to be used as textbooks,
or merely as collection of recipes for practicing physicians.
In the textbooks, the diagnoses are coherently expressed in
sentence form. In the formularies the prescriptions employ
loosely connected words and concepts.
This same formula of diagnoses, treatment and prognosis is
still used today by modern doctors. The principle difference
with the Sunnu(t) as compared to modern physicians was
their use of purely natural substances; in as such in ancient
times there were no allopathic medicaments.
Yet the priest(esses) physicians were able to make pills,
suppositories, poultices among other curing agents. All of
this is documented in the principle medical papyri.


Continued from page 51 Kemetic Medicine
Dr. Charles Finch states, The Egyptians were well
versed in many pathological syndromes. The
identification of a disease necessitates acute and
painstaking clinical observation, often over many years,
and many of the ones described in the medical papyri are
known today. Egyptian physicians understood the origin
of parpalegia and paralysis from spinal cord injuries and
recognized the traumatic origin of neurological symptoms
such as deafness, urinary incontinence, and priapism.
They described many syndromes of cardiac origin". The
principle medical papyri are:
Ancient Egyptian Medical Papyri:
1) Edwin Smith Papyrus
2) Ebers Papyrus
3) Hearst Papyrus
4) The Chester Beatty Papyri
5) Berlin Papyrus
6) The London Medical Papyrus
7) The Ramseeum Papyri
8) The Carlsburg Papyrus
9) The Brooklyn Papyrus
10) The Kahun Papyrus
From these we learn of their expertise in areas such as
dentistry, brain injuries, therapeutics as well as a highly
advanced practice in areas of womens health, childrens
health and veterinary medicine.
These and other profound medical discoveries by the
olden physicians are still as relevant today as they were
thousands of years ago which is supported by the
growing "green" culture. The very basis of Egyptian
Medicine was the healing of the sick by addressing the
deep and penetrating issues of the mind. Thus coherence
was sought between the mind and body. From these we
learn of their expertise in areas such as dentistry, brain
injuries, therapeutics as well as a highly advanced
practice in areas of womens health, childrens health and
veterinary medicine. What this means is that the priest
physicians knew that physical ailments were caused by
mental afflictions such as worries, intense cares or mal
adaptive behavior born of vice conjoined with the ariu
(karmic basis) of each human being.
Thus, the whole system was taken into consideration and
managed integratively, including at the level of the soul
of the human being or animal. Therefore, they saw the
human or animal not only merely as a biological entity
but a complete system which needed to be healed from
the deepest aspects to the outer aspects. Although the
physicians understood and recognized the penetrating
issues of the mind and soul, nonetheless, applied
themselves rigorously to understanding the scientific
principles and empirical observation that goes into
theories of maintaining the health of the physical body;
therefore, the medical practice was undiminished and
all encompassing.
In this wide ranging concentration on the full system,
they truly enacted a healing of the human person and
thus transcended treating only symptoms to treating the
root causes of the disease at the very source; the soul.
In essence they viewed the human being as a soul
struggling for enlightenment in the search for liberation
from pain and suffering. Therefore, each individual
patient was treated as a confused divinity and not
simply as a person. When this confusion is ameliorated
then the personality discovers her or his true divine
nature and thus transcends the condition of the body
whether it be in good health or disease. This system can
still be used today and this is why the video
presentation was made to illustrate how these healing
practices and theories are actually timeless and are
much needed today as is indicative of the condition of
the current medical system in its failure to curb the
chronic disease epidemic. Thus there is urgent
necessity to evaluate, adjust and change some aspects
of the current medical paradigm to address the deeper
realities of the human experience.
Ancient Egyptian Physiology: Brief Overview:
This is by no means an exhaustive treatise on Kemetic
Physiology and serves only for informational and
educational purposes. For more details into this area
contact Sehu Khepera.
In Kemetic medicine the heart (Ab) is seen as the
center of the body because it is from the heart that
blood is sent to profuse the entire terminal
cardiovascular system (cells of the body) with oxygen.
The heart has a dual function of collecting oxygenated
blood from the lungs and deoxygenated blood from the
bodys periphery via the venous system. Thus the heart
handles the blood fluid in a dual manner as
demonstrated by the two atria which collects the blood
and two ventricles which distributes blood volume. In
as such, the heart represents duality (the four cardinal
points of the universe; earth, air, water fire,), upon
which singularity is the basis. What this means is that
the human organism, from the Kemetic perspective, is a
manifestation of undifferentiated consciousness and as
such has a dual nature. Thus, we have two hands, two


arms,two legs, two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, two
ovaries, two testicles, two kidneys etc. Therefore, the
body is a dual system or a system that relies on the
homeostasis and synchronicity of that coupled system to
maintain its optimal health. When the body is placed
under objective and strict scrutiny of a meditative mind in
equipoise it is discovered that the body is a small segment
of the total experience of the human entity.
In as such the Ab is also the organ that is weighed on the
scales of Maat in the form of a heart shaped vase, in the
judgment hall that is presented in the Papyrus and Coffin
Text genres of Ancient Kemetic literature. Maat signifies
order, righteousness and truth and is symbolized by an
ostrich feather which is a symbol of the Goddess Maat.
How this relates to Kemetic Medicine is that the heart on
the balance scales of Maat is actually a metaphor for the
unconscious mind of a human being. In the judgment
hall, the heart (unconscious mind) is weighed against the
feather of Maat. If the heart is drawn with guilt, remorse
and extreme self centeredness it will be heavier than the
feather of Maat and therefore the mind would go through
periods of suffering, misery and will be inflicted with
afflictions such as fear, anger, jealousy, desire. Thus
these afflictions are the basis upon which disease is born
in the body.
Conversely, if the unconscious mind has been made light
by a life of virtue, peace and righteousness it will be as
light or lighter than the feather of Maat, metaphorically;
depending upon the depth of the profundity of attainment
of righteous order in life of a given individual. Thus a
mind that has been made light by a life of truth will not
be afflicted by the anomalies that are created by the mind
and thus there is a great reduction in the possibilities of
such individual actually suffering from disease. However,
a life of virtue does not necessitate nor otherwise
presuppose that a given righteous personality will never
get ill in his or her life time as all beings in time and
space are under the influence of ari (karma).
The heart as the center of the body is related to the heart
shaped vase in the following manner. The physical organ,
the heart is the center of health for the body. If the mind
is attuned to the cosmic order and made light through a
life of virtue, then there would be lightness in the body as
well. What this means is that the relative health of the
mind has a direct influence on the relative health of the
body. Thus, when the body is afflicted it is due to an
infusion of negative energy into the body from the
anomalies of the mental continuum of a human being.
Therefore, physical diseases are mirror images of the
state of mind of a human being. Looking at the body is a
look into the mind. Thus, the mind body connection is
not merely healthy body healthy mind. But rather, more
poignantly it is a righteous and disciplined mind leads to
a healthy body. This however does not indicate that a
person with an unrighteous disposition, will all of
sudden feel pain in the body and disease of the physical
constitution or does it indicate that a saint or sage would
never get ill. Thus, the ariu (karmic basis) of the
individual patient must also be taken into account.
Therefore, Kemetic Medicine is very sophisticated,
complex and cannot be simplified to gain a true
understanding of it.
What the Kemetic Medical paradigm illustrates however
is that if there is a habitual tendency towards vice as
acted out through the impetus from an impure mind it
will eventually show up in the body as a disruption in
the proper functioning of the organ and or vascular
system. Therefore, the ancient Kemites cleverly knew
this and so logically centered their physiologic studies
and investigations at the heart and moved from there to
the pulse centers at the throat, wrist, thighs, lower legs
and feet.
By understanding the pulse system of the human being,
one can gain insight to the disease process that has taken
place within the physical body and as such gain insight
into the nature of the persons mind. Thus, from a
practical perspective modalities would be applied to the
body or ingested along with spiritual counsel and
recitation of specific formulas to rectify the mental
anomaly that is showing up in the body. Spiritual
counsel would be given to assist the patient in
overcoming life conditions and situations that lead
either to vice, impurity or general every day stressors
that can grow in magnitude so as to make life difficult
to handle.
Therefore, it is not to only heal the body, or to only
focus on the mind; but to work both at the mental and
physical levels in harmonization. Further, the spiritual
dimension of a human being was not left out of the
equation. Thus, incantations and spiritual rituals along
with counsel in relation to life problems and the human
condition would be offered to the patient as well.
In utilizing the heart as the center of the physical body;
the philosophy of Swadj was employed. Swadj means to
green the body, or to make the body green. This is done
by ingesting green leafy vegetables, and green drinks
that act to energize the bodys cells. They employed this
philosophy because leaves of plants captures sunlight
and congeals it as the chlorophyll molecule which is
stored in the chloroplast aspect of the plant cell.


Thus when a human being ingests green vegetables they
are in essence ingesting particles of the sun that has been
collected in the leaves of plants. The philosophy of
greening coincides with the dictum of firstly looking at
the heart and examining the entire system from there. In
as such Kemetic Medicine places emphasis on
preventation of disease by collecting into the mind and
body philosophies and foods that lead to good health. The
emphasis on the heart center is not to say that the
endocrine system was ignored; not at all. In Kemetic
Medicine the endocrine system is part and parcel of the
vascular apparatus which includes the lungs and the
heart.
In this area of Kemetic Medicine it gets very complex as
the endocrine system was attuned with and worked
through the Sefech Ba Ra (7 Souls of Ra; Psycho
Spiritual Energy System, Chakras). In as such the major
healing deities are the God Ptah and the Goddess
Sekhmet. Sekhmet represents the life forces while Ptah
represents the mind. Thus, for good health a balance must
be struck by the energetic system and the mind which
reflects in a healthy endocrine and blood vascular system.
Philosophically, for health of the body, according to the
Kemetic paradigm, there must be health of the fluid
systems. In this manner the fluid systems are seen
metaphorically as tributaries of the Nile River with the
central channel of the energetic system being the main
body of the river. Hence, for good health one must drink
lots of clean water; whose subtle essence is the energetic
quality of the Divinity Hapi.
Therefore when one is drinking water it is not simply a
fluid, but rather, a cosmic force or energetic expression of
the universe. Thus when we eat green leafy vegetables we
are ingesting the energetic quality of the deities Ra and
Asar and when we ingest water we are taking in the
energetic quality of God Hapi. Therefore, we are eating
the Gods and Goddesses and they in turn give our body
optimal health. And since they are immortal Gods and
Goddesses, they cannot go out of existence if we eat them
because they regenerate on their own power (water is in
great danger now because of the damming of rivers and
massive use of water by soda and beer companies; Maat
philosophy talks about not polluting the water). However,
the same cannot be said about animals. The eating of
animals causes much suffering to the animals and in turn
to the people who eat them.
Modern science now says that the earths population will
level off at about 9 billion people by the year 2050 upon
which the rate of increase of the human population will
slow and may even see a small decline. Now (November
2011) we are at about 7 billion people. To feed all of the
people in the developed world, who mostly eat a meat
based diet, 120 billion land animals are killed each year;
Not to mention the trillion or so sea animals that die each
year as a result of the need for mass human consumption.
By the time 2050 comes around this number will be quite
larger. Thus in essence, to feed all of these people a meat
based diet will take the continued and escalation of cattle
ranch farming techniques that cause much misery to the
animals in which they live in deplorable conditions. Not
to mention that there would be increase in starvation in
the poorer countries of Africa and Asia because the cattle
are fed grain, not grass.
The grain that the cattle are being fed to fatten them for
human consumption could be better utilized to feed all of
the people in Africa and Asia who are starving each and
every day. In the XXIII Mind and Life Conference in
Dharamsala India, Matthieu Ricard cited that, 1.4
billion poor people could be fed 775 million tons of grain
used yearly for raising livestock. He further stated, 25
million people could be fed throughout the year if the
inhabitants of the USA would avoid eating meat for one
day a week. Therefore, a plant and grain based diet is
not only healthier as is proven by science, and personal
experience, but also it is more efficient metabolically and
psychically to eat the cosmic powers, the higher
energetic elements of the universe rather than the dense
muscle of animals which underlies the moral issue of the
mass genocide of animals; which brings us back to the
balance scales of Maat.
It has been proven that in cultures where there is
predominantly a meat based diet there are high
prevalence of metabolic disease such as diabetes and the
concomitant diseases such as cardiovascular disease and
stroke. The number one killer of people in large
industrial nations is cardiovascular disease. Hence, a
meat based diet does not bring health to the vascular
system but rather causes disease of the vascular system.
Now since the populations of industrial nations are
mainly eating animals that are essentially slaughtered for
no other reason than profit based upon human
consumption, it causes heaviness and dullness of the
mind which reflects in the body as disease.
This occurs because there is no proper ritual to thank and
appease the mind and subtle energies of the animals.
Hence when proper rituals are performed it acts as a
calming effect on the environment and psyche of those
who participate in the ritual killing and consumption of
the animal. Thus the cosmic powers are placated and so
the wrathful aspects of the deities are not activated.


When animals are slaughtered as they are in the
slaughterhouses, the animals die with strong feelings of
fear, anger, irritability, sadness, hostility and emotional
suffering.
Hence, there is a high prevalence of cardiovascular
disease in people who based their diet on animal and
dairy products as the human body consumes these
negative energies which in turn are absorbed by the
unconscious mind, the heart, Ab. The negative energies
that are ingurgitated into the unconscious mind are then
reflected back into the physical body and there ferment
into tangible disease. The negative energies cause a
disruption in the vascular, endocrine and organ systems
of the body. Therefore, broadly speaking, the problem of
disease is a problem of the impure energies that a human
being absorbs into their psyche.
Thus, since the heart is also seen as the seat of the
emotions and the seat of the mind, music therapy was
also employed to harmonize the emotions and bring the
heart rate and blood pressure to a healthy level by causing
a dispersion of the negative energies and collection of
positive powers through sound. Nonetheless, in the case
of infections antibiotics were used. They made their own
antibiotics out of coarse bread. Therefore all aspects of
medicine were employed with the philosophical premise
and physiological fact that the heart is the center from
which health or disease permeates while the ethical and
moral condition of the mind is the conduit by which the
body is maintained in health or disease.
Therefore the combining of herbs such as carminatives
were not crude inventions but rather very thought out and
scientifically tested modalities which assisted in the
healing of the patient. This is significant because the
Sunnut believed that people were healed by self
correction and she employed certain cosmic powers to
assist the patient with his or her own self correction. Thus
the Sunnut was an assistant to the individuals own power
for self healing. For the Sunnu or Kemetic naturopathic
practitioner the idea is to align the patient with proper
forces for healing and then let the process take its course.
In as such healing occurs and the patient dispenses with
the negativities that caused the disease and thus return to
health and proper livelihood.
em Hetep,
Sehu Khepera Ankh
http://www.kemeticyoga.org/kemetic_medicine

Ancient Egyptian Medicine
and the Concept of Heart
Failure
Saba MM, Ventura HO, Saleh M, Mehra MR.
Cardiomyopathy and Heart Transplantation Center,
Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, LA 70121
Abstract
Background:
The cardiac glosses of the Ebers papyrus comprise the
concepts and notions of the Egyptian physicians about
the heart and its diseases. We sought to analyze some of
the cardiac glosses of the Ebers papyrus, focusing on
those which may describe early concepts of the
syndrome of heart failure.
Methods and Result:
Review of Joachim's German translation and both
Bryan's and Ghalioungui's English translations of the
Ebers papyrus. One clinical scenario describes patients
with "weakness of the heart" or "cardiac dysfunction:
"His heart is bored," "The heart weakens," "This means
that the heart does not speak or that the vessels of the
heart are dumb. Its information under your hands
normally appears because of the air with which they are
filled is missing...." Debility that has arisen in the
heart." The other clinical scenario supplies information
about patients with heart failure and "fluid retention" or
"congestion": "His heart is flooded. This is the liquid of
the mouth. His body parts are all together weak"..."His
heart is over flooded...."
Conclusion:
Whether or not Egyptian medicine and the contents of
the papyri paved the way for future knowledge, the
clinical scenarios included in the Ebers papyrus may
represent one of the earliest documented observations of
the syndrome of heart failure. PMID: 16911907
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16911907

The Ancient Egyptian
Heart
Probably the most interesting aspect of the ancient
Egyptian's concept of the heart is that their ancient
beliefs remain with us today, not as science, but within
the very fiber of our emotions, our poetry and our song
lyrics. When we refer to our hearts in regard to love, or
any other emotion, we are invoking a living memory of


Continued from page 50 The Egyptian Heart
the ancient Egyptian belief system.

The Egyptians believed that the heart, rather than the
brain, was the source of human wisdom, as well as
emotions, memory, the soul and the personality itself.
Notions of physiology and disease were all connected in
concept to the heart, and it was through the heart that God
spoke, giving ancient Egyptians knowledge of God and
God's will. For this reason it was considered the most
important of the body's organs. However, despite the
ancient Egyptian's seemingly advanced medical and
surgical knowledge, the heart's role in blood circulation
was not precisely understood.
It was felt that from the heart, channels (metu) linked all
parts of the body together. These channels delivered not
only blood, but also air, tears, saliva, mucus, sperm,
nutriment and even bodily waste. In fact, the only real
function of the brain was thought to be to pass mucus to
the nose, so it was one of the organs that were discarded
during mummification.
Probably to some extent, this concept of channels may
have had some symbolism with the Nile. Ancient
Egyptians were thought to be in good health if the metu
were clear and without blockage. Disease was caused
when a channel became blocked, much like an irrigation
canal cannot deliver water if it is blocked.

In the final judgment portrayed by the Book of the Dead,
the heart of the deceased was shown being weighed
against the feather of Ma'at, a symbol of universal truth,
harmony and balance. Anubis was sometimes shown
adjusting the balance of the scales slightly in favor of the
deceased, to ensure it into the underworld. The heart was
thought to be given back to the deceased in the afterlife.

For this reason, the heart was one of the only organs
not removed from the body during mummification. Of
course there was concern that the heart might testify
against the deceased, so in order to prevent this, a
heart scarab was often wrapped within the bandages.
The inscription on the scarab would most likely
consist of Chapter 30 from the Book of the Dead:

O my heart which I had upon earth, do not rise up
against me as a witness in the presence of the lord of
things; do not speak against me concerning what I
have done, do not bring up anything against me in the
presence of the great god of the west..."
The heart amulets began taking the form of a vase with
lug handles, perhaps symbolic of blood vessels, from
the New Kingdom onward. Chapter 29b of the Book
of the Dead states that these should be made of seheret
stone (cornelian), but they were often made from other
materials.

So today, when we confront our lovers, we speak from
the heart, and when we break up, it is our heart that is
broken, in only another of many memories of our
ancient Egyptian roots.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/heart.htm


FEATURED ARTICLES
Phytochemicals and Cardiovascular Disease
By Barbara V. Howard, PhD and David Kritchevsky, PhD
A Statement for Healthcare Professionals from the American Heart Association
Circulation. 1997; 95: 2591-2593
Epidemiological studies have often shown relationships
between vegetable/fruit intake and coronary heart
disease that are not clearly attributable to major
macronutrients or known vitamins and minerals. This
suggests that other components of plants may be
important in lowering risk of cardiovascular disease.
Although the literature contains studies of a myriad of
possible plant components, many of these studies are
small or poorly controlled. Further, the supposition
itself has led to claims of miracle ingredients with
supposed mitigating effects on cardiovascular as well
as other chronic diseases. A substantial body of
evidence has accumulated in three areas: plant sterols,
flavonoids, and plant sulfur compounds. This review
summarizes the state of knowledge in these three areas
and explores possibilities for future work.
Plant Sterols
The plant kingdom contains a number of sterols that
differ from cholesterol by having ethyl or methyl
groups or unsaturation in the side chain. The
predominant onessitosterol, stigmasterol, and
campesterolcan be present in Western diets in
amounts almost equal to dietary cholesterol.
1
The most
prominent is -sitosterol, which differs from
cholesterol in that it has an ethyl group at carbon 24 of
the side chain. In the early 1950s it was noted that the
addition of sitosterol to the diet of cholesterol-fed
chickens or rabbits lowered cholesterol levels in both
species and inhibited atherogenesis in the latter.
2

Sitosterol or mixtures of soy sterols were studied
extensively as cholesterol-lowering agents between
1950 and 1960.
3
The preparations achieved cholesterol
lowering of approximately 10%.
4
The mode of action
appears to involve inhibition of cholesterol absorption,
although the plant sterols themselves are absorbed very
poorly.
5
The mechanism of inhibition of cholesterol
absorption is believed to be through crystallization and
co-precipitation. Ingestion of 1 g of -sitosterol reduced
absorption of cholesterol by 42% in a meal containing
500 mg of cholesterol.
6
The decrease in plasma
cholesterol is probably due to an increase in LDL
receptor activity. However, the decline in plasma
cholesterol is relatively less than the decrease in
absorption, presumably because of a compensatory
increase in cholesterol synthesis. This area merits
reinvestigation using newer technologies.
In the 1980s it was demonstrated that sitostanol, a 5-
saturated sitosterol derivative, reduced the intestinal
absorption of cholesterol and serum cholesterol more
effectively than sitosterol and at doses below those of
sitosterol.
7
In a recent study
8
sitostanol was
interesterified with margarine, and the resultant product
(1.9 to 2.6 g sitosterol per day) exhibited a
hypocholesterolemic effect in a population with mild
hypercholesteremia. The mean 1-year reduction in
plasma cholesterol was 10.2%. The sitostanol was not
absorbed and did not appear to interfere with
absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
Squalene, a sterol precursor also found in plant
products, was originally suggested to have a
cholesterol-lowering effect, but earlier studies in
animals showed that it had no positive influence on
atherosclerosis.
2
Sitosterols and squalene are present in
both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated vegetable
oils and thus may be responsible for some of the
variable cholesterol-lowering effects observed in
studies using these products; this may explain
differences observed between various sources and
degrees of refinement of olive oil. Other cholesterol-
lowering alcohols in rice bran oils include esters of
triterpene alcohols that inhibit hepatic cholesterol
esterase and tocotrienols that inhibit HMG Co-A
reductase.
9
However, there is conflicting evidence as to
whether rice bran oil decreases plasma cholesterol
levels in humans.
10



Continued from page 57 - Phytochemicals and Cardiovascular
Disease
Finally, cafestol is a terpene present in coffee. Some
studies but not others have suggested that coffee intake
may be associated with changes in plasma cholesterol that
may be explained by the presence of this compound.
Suggestions have been made that the manner of
preparation may influence the effect of coffee; filtering
may remove some cholesterol-raising compounds.
Flavonoids
Flavonoids are derivatives of 2-phenyl-1-benzopyran-4-
one with varied chemical structures present in fruits,
vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
11

12
The major flavonoid
categories are flavonols, flavones, catechins, flavanones,
and anthocyanins. The main dietary sources of these
compounds are tea, onions, soy, and wine. The main
flavonoid in onions is quercetin glucoside and the main
flavonoid in tea is quercetin rutinoside. Flavonoid intake
has been inversely associated with coronary heart disease
in the Zutphen Elderly Study,
13
the Seven Countries
Study,
14
and a cohort study in Finland.
15
In the Zutphen
Elderly Study,
13
for example, a flavonoid intake of 0 to
19.0 mg/d was associated with a coronary heart disease
mortality rate of 18.5 per 1000 person-years, compared
with a mortality rate of 7.8 among those who consumed
more than 29.9 mg/d (30 mg/d represents approximately
five to six cups of tea per day). It should be pointed out
that some flavonoids exert toxic effects (gastrointestinal
or allergic), especially if taken in large amounts.
Systematic work is needed on the major classes of
flavonoids to categorize their structure, efficacy, and
potential adverse effects. The link between flavonoids and
atherosclerosis is based partly on the evidence that some
flavonoids possess antioxidant properties and have been
shown to be potent inhibitors of LDL oxidation in vitro.
For example, the phenolic substances in red wine inhibit
oxidation of human LDL.
16
Flavonoids have also been
shown to inhibit platelet aggregation and adhesion,
17

which may be another way they lower the risk of heart
disease. Isoflavones in soy foods have been reported to
lower plasma cholesterol and also to have estrogenlike
effects.
18

Plant Sulfur Compounds
Naturally occurring sulfur-containing compounds (the
allium family) may influence plasma cholesterol and
atherosclerosis. These substances are found especially in
garlic, onions, and leeks, the most prominent of these
being garlic. Garlic oil was in the pharmacopeia of the
Babylonians and other ancient peoples.
19
Garlic oil or
garlic has been shown to be hypolipidemic in humans,
with a recent meta-analysis suggesting that one half clove

of garlic per day lowered serum cholesterol by approx-
imately 9%.
20
The same amount of garlic was shown to
reduce cholesterol levels and severity of atherosclerosis
in cholesterol-fed rabbits.
21
Garlic contains a number of
compounds, but those thought to be the most active are
diallyl disulfide and its mono S oxide (allicim). The
mechanism of hypocholesterolemia may be the inhibition
of cholesterol synthesis.
22
Garlic has also been reported to
inhibit platelet aggregation,
23
decrease coagulation time,
24

and lower blood pressure.
25
Garlic in large quantities,
however, can actually have significant side effects, such
as anemia or allergic manifestations.
19
Much more work
is needed in the chemistry and pharmacology of the
sulfur-containing compounds in plants.
Conclusions
Plant sterols, flavonoids, and sulfur-containing com-
pounds represent three classes of compounds found in
fruits and vegetables that may be important in reducing
risk of atherosclerosis. Within these categories are
multiple possible compounds, most of which are not well
characterized and whose modes of action are not
established. In addition, many other plant products (ie,
antioxidant vitamins, phytoestrogens, and trace minerals)
may also be linked to the atherosclerotic process. These
plant micronutrients will clearly be the topic of future
research. As work continues on all of these compounds,
other unrecognized components will be identified.
Nutritional databases must be further developed to
include better information on micronutrients, and large
population-based studies that contain collected dietary
data should be reanalyzed using improved nutritional
databases to quantify consumption of plant sterols,
flavonoids, and sulfur-containing compounds and to
assess possible relationships with atherosclerosis and
other chronic diseases. In addition, careful metabolic
studies using newer techniques to measure cholesterol
absorption and lipoprotein metabolism must be conducted
to define the mechanism of action of each of these
micronutrients. Finally, a direct assessment of the
influence of micronutrients on lipoprotein profiles,
hemostatic factors, and cardiovascular disease must be
made. It should be recognized that some micronutrients
may not act alone but in concert with other dietary
components. Thus, benefits may come from the
integration of several dietary components.
Until more of this information is gathered and fully
understood, consumption of a balanced diet containing a
wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain
products is recommended as the most prudent way to
ensure optimum consumption of macronutrients and
micronutrients.


Continued from page 58 Phytochemicals and Cardiovascular
Disease
Footnotes
Phytochemicals and Cardiovascular Disease was
approved by the American Heart Association Science
Advisory and Coordinating Committee in November
1996.
References
1. Miettinen TA, Tilvis RS, Kesniemi YA. Serum plant sterols
and cholesterol precursors reflect cholesterol absorption and
synthesis in volunteers of a randomly selected male
population. Am J Epidemiol. 1990;131:20-31.
Abstract/FREE Full Text
2. Pollak OJ, Kritchevsky D. Sitosterol. Monogr Atheroscler.
1981;10:1-219. Medline
3. Lees AM, Mok HYI, Lees RS, McCluskey MA, Grundy SM.
Plant sterols as cholesterol-lowering agents: clinical trials in
patients with hypercholesterolemia and studies of sterol
balance. Atherosclerosis. 1977;28:325-338.
CrossRefMedline
4. Vahouny GV, Kritchevsky D. Plant and marine sterols and
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5. Tilvis RS, Miettinen TA. Serum plant sterols and their
relation to cholesterol absorption. Am J Clin Nutr.
1986;43:92-97. Abstract/FREE Full Text
6. Mattson FH, Grundy SM, Crouse JR. Optimizing the effect of
plant sterols on cholesterol absorption in man. Am J Clin
Nutr. 1982;35:697-700. Abstract/FREE Full Text
7. Heinemann T, Leiss O, von Bergmann K. Effect of low-dose
sitostanol on serum cholesterol in patients with
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Copyright 1997 by American Heart Association
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/95/11/2591.full

Can Dietary Flavonoids
influence the Development
of Coronary Heart Disease?
By Helle Margrete Meltzer and Karl Egil
Malterud
Abstract
The flavonoids constitute a large group of secondary
plant metabolites being ubiquitous among higher
plants. The biological activity of flavonoids was
discovered during the 1930s, when it was found that
several vegetables and fruits contained substances
different from vitamin C and yet able to counteract the
capillary fragility characteristic of scurvy. The "P
vitamins" (as they were once called) were, however,
not accepted as vitamins, and they are now regarded as
members of the large and diffuse class of "non-
nutrients". Today, extensive research is directed
towards the elucidation of the importance and the
potential therapeutic value of flavonoids in the
treatment of, e.g., cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
In this paper, recent research on flavonoids is reviewed
with emphasis on the possible correlation between
dietary flavonoid content and reduced risk for
Introduction
Recently, the preventive and therapeutic potential of
food and beverages has received increased scientific
attention.
Large epidemiological surveys have shown a
relationship between the consumption of fruit and
vegetables and reduced risk of cancer and
cardiovascular disease (I), and some of the works even
indicate that raw vegetables give the strongest
protection (2-4).
An expression like "the French paradox" has appeared,
based on the interesting observation that the French
have comparable plasma cholesterol levels to the
Americans,

and comparable fat intakes, but nevertheless a far lower
incidence of coronary disease (5). The high French
consumption of red wine has been implicated in these
differences (6).
Others claim that they can be explained by olive oil, or the
consumption of garlic.
Does red wine, olive oil and garlic have anything in
common? (apart from "the good life" which such a
consumption surely is an expression of, important in itself
for health).
Several components in fruits and vegetables have drawn
attention as possible candidates when the effects are to be
explained, as illustrated in Table 1. For each of the
candidates, there is evidence that they may have an effect.
To assess their single and combined effects is an enormous
task, which beginning. This article is only at its focuses on
the flavonoids, a group of naturally occurring compounds
which recently has attracted considerable attention as
dietary constituents with potential importance for health
(7-9) (Fact column 1).
Chemical structure
Flavonoids have a common skeleton of diphenylpyranes
(C6-C3-C6), i.e. two benzene rings (A and B) connected
by a heterocyclical pyran- or pyron ring (Figure I). The
flavonoids are often hydroxylated in the positions 3,5,7,3',
4', and 5'. The presence or absence of a hydroxyl group in
the 3 position determines the division into the two main
subgroups of flavonoids: 3-hydroxyflavonoids (flavonols,
flavanonols and catechins) and flavonoids with an
unsubstituted 3-position (flavones and flavanones) (Figure
1). The most common flavonoid in food is quercetin, while
catechins nutritionally are the most important of the
flavonoids in beverages, due to their high concentration in
tea.
More than 4,000 flavonoids have been described, and the
number of characterized substances is continually
increasing ( 1 0).
From a nutritional point of view, flavonols and flavones
are of special interest due to their potential protective role
in carcinogenesis, atherosclerosis and thrombosis.
Both flavonols and flavones are usually present in our food
as glycosides, D-glucose being the most common sugar.
Other sugars can be galactose, rhamnose, arabinose,
xylose, in addition to glucuronic acid. The preferred
binding site for the sugar unit is in the C3 position,
glycosylation in the C7 position being somewhat less
common (1 1,12).
The sugar-free part of the molecule is called the flavonoid
aglycone. Continued on page 61


Continued from page 53 Can Dietary Flavonoids
influence the Development of Coronary Heart Disease
Due to the enormous variation in substitution types and
substitution patterns, (hydroxylation-, methoxylation-,
sulphation-and glycosidation patterns in addition to C-
methylation, C-glycosylation and prenylation) more
than 1,000 different flavonol and flavone glycosides
have been described, and more than 20 million different
combinations are theoretically possible (1 3).
Table 1. Some dietary substances suggested to
be associated with decreased risk of disease.
Vitamins (e.g . ascorbic acid, a-tocopherol)
Minerals (e-g. selenium, zinc, manganese)
Dietary fibre
Glucosinolates
Indols
Flavonoids
Terpenoids (including carotenoids)
Phytosterols
Proteinase inhibitors
Sulphur compounds from onion and garlic
FACT COLUMN 1: HISTORY
Flavonoids have been known as plant pigments for
more than one hundred-years. In periods, their
biological effects and importance have been discussed
intensively.
Around 1940 the opinion was that flavonoids had
vitamin properties. In the 1970s, the flavonoids were
suspected of having mutagenic and carcinogenic effect,
while in the 80s and 90s, considerable research has
been directed towards their activity as antioxidants and
radical scavengers, as well as their anti-mutagenic and
anti-carcinogenic properties.
In a human context, interest in flavonoids originates
from studies by the Nobel laureate Szent-Gyorgyi and
co-workers in the 1930s (83,84), when they reported
that a number of substances in vegetables and fruits
(different from vitamin C) could heal the capillary
fragility (with associated haemorrhage) characteristic of
scurvy. For years there was an argument as to whether
the flavonoids, often designated as bioflavonoids or
vitamin P, had a direct, independent effect on tissue
metabolism (especially capillary fragility), or if their
role rather was of a synergistic nature.
Around 1950 it was agreed that the flavonoids had
physiological significance, but that their most important
and possibly single role was their influence on capillary
resistance. The effect seemed to be independent of
vitamin C. In spite of this, flavonoids were taken off
the list of effective drugs by the US Food and Drug
Administration in 1962. At this point there were more
than 200 flavonoid-containing preparations on the
American market.
Interest in the biological effects of flavonoids has
increased tremendously the last 15-20 years (85), and
several thousand articles have been published on the
theme. In addition to the more important effects
mentioned in the main article, the are some more exotic
ones. Among them are inhibition of tooth decay(86,87),
protection against snake venom (88), or effect against
dandruff (89)! Several books, such as (90-92) and
reviews, e.g, (21,24,93) have been published.
Function in plants
Numerous functions of flavonoids in plants have been
demonstrated or suggested.
These include pigmentation (to attract pollinators),
protection of the plant from UV light and micro-
organisms, defence against grazing animals, regulation of
enzyme activity and signal substances for nitrogen-
fixating bacteria (14,15). The flavonoids are omnipresent
in higher plants. In foods, we find flavonoids as natural
colour substances (the anthocyanins, a subgroup of
flavonoids, have a strong red, purple or mauve colour and
may give a blue colour when combined with other
substances in plants; chalcones and aurones are yellow),
taste components and as antioxidants (16).
Flavones and flavonols can be pale yellow or creamy
coloured. Some colours are only visible to pollinating
insects, which can sense UV radiation invisible to
humans. Thus they can sense "flavonoid colours" not
visible to man.
Presence in foods
Flavonols and flavones are mainly present in the leaves
and outer parts of plants, but small amounts have also
been detected in roots (1 1,12). One exception is onions,
where the bulb contains considerable amounts of
quercetin 4'-glycosides. We receive approximately 70%
of the flavonoids in the diet from beverages and fruit.
Some herbs and spices have high concentrations, and
large amounts are also found in some well known
medicinal plants. For centuries lay people and medical
professionals have used herbs containing flavonoids in
attempts to heal inflammations, diabetes, allergies,
headaches, the common flu, cancer etc. (13).
Propolis, made by bees from plant exudates (usually from
buds), is used to protect the hive entrance and is often
rich in flavonoids. From old times the peoples of Asia
have been drinking green tea as a medicinal remedy
because of its presumed pharmacological effects. Green


Continued from page 61- Can Dietary Flavonoids influence
the Development of Coronary Heart Disease
tea is an important source of flavonoids in the East
(17).
Our knowledge about the dietary intake of flavonoids is
sparse and partly contradictory.
In 1976 Kiihnau (18) estimated the daily flavonoid
intake in the USA to be approximately 1 gram, 100 mg
thereof being flavonols and flavones, but these
estimates have not been confirmed.
Hertog et al. (19) have improved the old analytical
methods, and their results are shown in Table 2. Based
on the analysis of five common flavonoids, the
flavonoid content of the Dutch diet was estimated to be
28 mg/day (as aglycones). In areas with a very high
intake of plants and herbs/spices, the intake of
flavonoids is believed to be as high as 2-3 gl/day. Many
factors influence the flavonoid content of plants, among
others the conditions of growth, ripeness and season.
Growth beneath glass reduces the levels of flavonoids,
and in general, processed foods have 50% lower
concentrations than fresh (20). A subgroup of
flavonoids, the isoflavonoids, are mainly found in the
Leguminosae, soy beans being an example of a food
with a substantial content of isoflavonoids.
Biological effects
Recently, the antioxidant properties of the flavonoids
have become a subject of considerable interest (2 1 -
23), but in addition, several other properties have been
reported, some of which are shown in Table 3 (1
3,16,24,25). Among the effects can be mentioned
modulation of enzyme activity, e.g. cyclooxygenase,
lipoxygenases, phospholipase A2, hyaluronidase and
5'-iodothyronine deiodinase. Inhibition of LAR (lens
aldose reductase) and of ACE (angiotensin convertase)
has also been described. These effects provide a broad
potential for medical effects and usage, and in
particular, work is presently being conducted with
flavonoids and cancer (Fact column 2). In this paper,
however, we will concentrate on the possible impact
flavonoids may have on coronary heart disease. In this
context, we will discuss the antioxidant properties of
flavonoids.
Coronary heart disease
The composition of the diet influences the risk for
developing coronary heart disease, and not least "the
French paradox" and other phenomena show that the
influence is not limited to the effect of saturated fat and
cholesterol (5). The mechanisms underlying the
development of atherosclerosis are not completely
understood, but it is generally believed that early in the
process, macrophages in the artery walls take up
modified LDL (low density lipoprotein) from plasma
by a route independent of the LDL receptor, and the
receptor involved (often called the scavenger receptor)
only recognizes modified, e.g. oxidised LDL. We know
that native LDL can be modified by all the most
important types of cells in the vasculature, including
endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and
macrophages.
There is some evidence that cellularly produced 15-
lipoxygenase may be involved in the process (49).
Oxidised LDL has strong atherogenic properties, e .g .
by chemoattraction of monocytes and by the
macrophages being inhibited from migrating back into
the plasma. This leads to an accumulation of
macrophages, saturated with cholesteryl esters, in
intima. Gradually the macrophages are transformed to
foam cells, which may then develop into fatty streaks.
A fatty streak can further develop into fibrotic plaques,
which become calcified and lead to reduction of the
lumen (26).
Oxidised LDL is also cytotoxic, and may harm
endothelial cells. This damage is accompanied by
release of factors stimulating platelet aggregation and
early growth of thrombosis. The combination of
thrombogenesis and reduced intraluminal volume may
lead to infarction.
Thus, substances protecting against the oxidation of
LDL are of considerable interest in the prevention and
treatment of coronary heart disease (27). In addition,
substances with antithrombotic properties will be of
interest. a-Tocopherol (vitamin E), retinyl stearate, y-
tocopherol and Pcarotene have been reckoned among
the most important antioxidants. All are fat soluble.
It is, however, well known that the content of
antioxidants in an LDL particle of a healthy adult can
vary widely, and it is tempting to speculate that the
dietary content may have an impact. The cytosolic
levels of antioxidants also influence the oxidation of
LDL. Best known among these is ascorbic acid
(vitamin C), which can react directly with superoxide
and hydroxyl radicals and in vitro can reduce the
tocopheroxyl radical back to atocopherol.
To our knowledge, no attempts have been made to
quantify the flavonoid content of human LDL.
Flavonoids as antioxidants
Many flavonoids are strong antioxidants; for a review,
see, e.g. (21). Several in vitro studies have shown
flavonoids to have stronger antioxidant properties in


some assay systems than a-tocopherol. Usually, the
optimal antioxidant activity of flavonoids is related to
neighbouring phenolic hydroxyl groups (usu8lly in the
3'- and 4'-position), a double bond between C2 and C3
in conjugation with a carbonyl group at C4, and
hydroxyl groups at C3 and C5 (28). Flavonols
combining these properties, such as quercetin, can
scavenge radicals such as superoxide, hydroxyl,
alkoxyl and peroxyl. However, some flavonoids are
strong antioxidants and radical scavengers without
having this structure (29,30).
It is well known that flavonoids seem to have vitamin C
sparing effects (31,32), and it has been assumed that
this is related to their antioxidant properties. "Vitamin
C2" was once suggested as a name for some flavonoids,
but this was never generally accepted (3 1, 33).
Moreover, recent data (34) indicate that the vitamin C
sparing effect is not as easily explained as earlier
believed.
LDL
As previously mentioned, data have gradually
accumulated indicating that oxidation of LDL is an
important factor in the development of atherosclerosis
(reviews, see (35-37)). Atherogenesis is, however, a
very complex process (38).
In in vitro experiments, flavonoids inhibit the oxidation
of LDL triggered by cellular (e,g. macrophages) as well
as noncellular factors (e.g. copper ions) (39-47).
Scavenging of free radicals participating in oxidative
processes may thus be an explanation for some of the
observed effects of flavonoids. Other mechanisms, such
as protection of a-tocopherol, have also been suggested.
In addition, quercetin reduces the cytotoxic effects of
oxidized LDL (46,48). The mechanism underlying this
effect is not known.
Because 15-lipoxygenase has been suggested to
participate in the oxidation of LDL (49), it is of
particular interest that several flavonoids inhibit this
enzyme (5O,5 1).
Frankel et al. have shown that phenols extracted from
red wine inhibited Cu catalysed oxidation of human
LDL ex vivo (52). This has been corroborated by other
studies (53,54).
Recent experiments show that soybean isoflavonoids
given to rhesus monkeys reduce LDL levels and
increase the levels of HDL (high density lipoprotein) in
plasma, and thus would be expected to have a
beneficial effect in connection with coronary heart

disease (107). So far, it is not known whether this effect
also applies to humans.
Platelet aggregation
Since the 1950s it has been known that flavonoids may
have an antithrombotic effect and inhibit platelet
aggregation (55). The effect is well documented both in
vitro and in vivo in animal experiments, as well as ex vivo
in humans (56). The mechanisms behind the
antiaggregatory effect seem complex. In many cases,
inhibition of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase, resulting in
increased CAMP levels, seems to be important (57), but
this is apparently not the case for the antiaggregatory
flavonoids in green tea (58).
A number of other mechanisms have been suggested: an
influence on the metabolism of arachidonic acid (with
reduction in thromboxane levels) (59,60) - receptor
antagonism to tromboxane receptors have also been
reported (61), as well as an increase in the levels of
prostacyclin (62). Many flavonoids are strong inhibitors of
lipoxygenases, but have differing effect on
cyclooxygenase (63, 64). Reduction of calcium levels
(60), inhibition of "platelet activating factor" (58),
scavenging of free radicals (65) and reduced liberation of
proaggregatory enzymes (66) have been observed.
Apparently, the antiaggregatory effects of flavonoids are
due to several more or less separate mechanisms.
One would expect the substantial effect of flavonoids on
arachidonic acid metabolism to result in antiinflammatory
properties, and this has indeed been demonstrated, mainly
in animal experiments in vivo, but also in experiments
with human cells in vitro (67-7 1). In this case, as well,
several mechanisms seem to be involved. The literature is
reviewed in, e.g. (24,72).
In summary, the antiinflammatory, antiaggregatory and
antioxidative/radical scavenging effects of flavonoids are
well documented in in vitro systems, and the results point
at several, partly independent, mechanisms. One can not
disregard the possibility that still other effects may be of
importance; inhibition of xanthin oxidase (produces
superoxide radicals), myeloperoxidase (produces
hypochlorite, another prooxidant) and angiotensin
convertase (gives angiotensin 11, which increases blood
pressure) has also been reported for the flavonoids.
Therapeutic use
Medical use of plants rich in flavonoids goes back to
ancient times. This practice was probably based on
experience, and only lately has the use of flavonoids and
flavonoid-containing preparations been based on rational
biochemical knowledge.
The ability to counteract capillary permeability was the


first biological effect shown for flavonoids. A number
of pharmaceuticals, both with natural flavonoids and
semisynthetic derivatives, take advantage of this effect,
as shown in several clinical studies (73,74).
A flavonoid with an unusual structure, silybin (from the
thistle Silybum marianum, "Mariendistel" - an ancient
medical plant from central Europe (75)), has
hepatoprotective effect and is included in many
pharmaceuticals. Its clinical effect is well documented
(review, see (76)).
Another flavonoid, catechin (cyanidanol), also showed
promising clinical activity against hepatic disease, but
turned out to give serious side effects, probably of
immunological nature (Fact column 3).
Preparations from Crataegus (hawthorn), containing
oligomeric flavonoids as their (putative) main
pharmacologically active ingredients, are used to treat
mild heart insufficiency. A Japanese multicenter study
testing such a product showed significant improvement
compared to a placebo group (78). Studies designed to
reveal the mechanisms of Crataegus preparations have
recently been reported, e.g. ( 108 - 1 10). Crataegus
based pharmaceuticals can interact with digitalis; thus
such preparations should not be administered at the
same time.
Pharmaceuticals based on extracts from Ginkgo hiloha,
an ancient Chinese medicine, have gained substantial
use in large parts of Europe the last 10-20 years. In
Germany alone 4.2 million prescriptions with such
preparations were dispatched in 1990, representing a
market value of 263 million DM (79). Usually, partially
purified extracts of the plant with a specified content of
terpenoids and flavonoids, regarded as the main
effective ingredients of the plant, are employed. A
number of clinical studies have been performed testing
the effect of Ginkgo preparations against age-related
cerebral insufficiency, and a meta-analysis of some of
these studies showed a clear clinical effect (80).
However, for many of the claimed effects of
flavonoids, effects that are seemingly in accordance
with claims from folk medicine and results from in
vitro and animal experiments, clinical data are lacking.
So far, acceptable clinical intervention studies testing
the effects of flavonoids against atherosclerotic and
thrombotic disease have not been conducted. In the
cases where clinical trials have been conducted, they
have often not been able to confirm the promising
results from in vitro and animal experiments.

Flavone acetic acid, a synthetic flavonoid, is an
example of this: This compound was chosen by the
Cancer Research Campaign (UK) to a phase I, and later
a phase I1 clinical trial. Both in vitro and animal
experiments showed the antitumor activity of this
compound to be substantial.
But only minimal activity could be demonstrated in
humans! The process was reviewed in an article with
the title: "Flavone acetic acid - from laboratory to clinic
and back" (8 1).
Bioactive compounds from natural sources have often
had a disadvantage compared to their synthetic
relatives: They are difficult to give effective patent
protection. Because of this they have to some extent
been regarded as economically uninteresting to the
pharmaceutical industry. As flavonoids are tested in
clinical trials, they apparently show another handicap:
They are highly sensitive to their chemical
surroundings. Due to this, well established results may
be difficult to reproduce in new experimental settings.
This may complicate the therapeutical use of
flavonoids.
FACT COLUMN 3: SIDE EFFECTS
By and large, flavonoids are relatively nontoxic to
higher animals (94-96,114), and seem to be devoid of
teratogenic effects (97).
As long as the diet is the sole source of flavonoids, the
risk of becoming intoxicated seems small. Clinical
trials with large doses of the flavonoid catechin
(cyanidanol) have, however, showed serious side
effects, probably due to immunological reactions
(98,99). The dosages in these cases were more than 1
gram/day. The acute LD50 for flavonoids tested in
animal experiments normally seems to be above I
gram/kg body weight. The mutagenic effect shown for
a number of flavonoids in Ames test seems to be of less
relevance in a cancer context than the antimutagenic
effect shown for flavonoids.
Dermatitis induced by flavonoids has been reported. In
several of these reports raw extracts of plants were
employed, and there is no direct evidence for
flavonoids being the triggering factor. Some articles,
however, describe tests using pure substances (1
15,116), and here it appears that certain flavonoids can
produce dermatological reactions, although the large
majority are inactive.
Propolis, well known for its allergic skin reactions
(117), is normally rich in flavonoids, but other
substances seem to be responsible for the allergy (1
18,119). Continued on page 65


Continued from page 64 Can Dietary Flavonoids influence
the Development of Coronary Heart Disease
Some isoflavonoids are oestrogens. Their activity is
relatively low, and consumption of soy beans, a rich
source of isoflavonoids, does not seem to have adverse
oestrogenic effects in humans. It has long been known
that sheep grazing on isoflavonoid-rich clover species
get hormone balance disturbances, and recently it has
been shown that coumestrol, the most active
isoflavonoid oestrogen, (but only found in very small
amounts in soy beans), disturbs oestrus in female mice
and produces abnormal sexual behaviour in male mice
(1 20).
Epidemiological studies
Recently, results from several epidemiological studies
have been published, including relative precise estimates
of the intake of flavonoids (7,82,111,112). Much of this
work comes from the Netherlands, and was initiated by a
workshop held in Wageningen in 1990 with the title
"Nonnutritive anticarcinogens in foods".
Thanks to multidisiplinary co-operation between
chemists, nutritionists and epidemiologists, methods
were developed for analyses of important food
flavonoids.
Later, the content in the most relevant Dutch food items
were analysed and the Dutch dietary intake was
estimated, based on the dietary data. Further, the results
were attached to the Seven Countries Study which
started in the 1960s.
Results from the food analyses are shown in Table 2.
The Zutphen study (7) comprised 805 men from the
town Zutphen in Holland being between 65 and 84 years
of age when the study started in 1985. The average
flavonoid intake (estimated as the sum of the five most
important flavonoid aglycones) was 26 mg/ day. Most of
the flavonoids (61 %) came from tea, 38% from
vegetables and fruit (mainly onions, kale, endives and
apples).
The intake was related to the risk of developing cancer
and coronary heart disease the following five years. In
this period, 43 men died from coronary heart disease
while 38 men had myocardial infarction. The flavonoid
intake was inversely related to coronary heart mortality
(P for trend=0.003), while the correlation to the
incidence of a first infarction was much weaker after
adjustment for known risk factors as age, body mass
index, smoking, serum cholesterol, blood pressure,
physical activity, consumption of coffee, and further for
the intake of energy, vitamin C, vitamin E, p-carotene
and dietary fibre (P=O. 15). Coronary heart mortality
was reduced by more than 50% in the group belonging

to the upper tertile compared to the lowest tertile of
flavonoid intake.
The flavonoid intake was not related to cancer
incidence or mortality.
As a first attempt to include the flavonoids in the
classical epidemiological cause-effect models for
coronary heart mortality, the Dutch group estimated the
flavonoid intake around 1960 for the 16 cohorts being
part of the Seven Countries Study (82). The average
flavonoid intake was inversely correlated to coronary
heart mortality in the cohort after 25 years of follow-
up, and explained 25% of the variance. When
adjustments were made for other risk factors, saturated
fat explained 73% of the variance, smoking 9%, while
flavonoids explained 8%, independent of the intake of
the vitamins E, C and alcohol. This study can easily be
criticised in the Zutphen study, but nevertheless the
results can, e.g. since all estimates were far more
uncertain than be an indication of flavonoids being at
least a factor to be controlled for in future
epidemiological studies.
The Zutphen Study results have recently found support
in a publication from Finland (1 11). Here, 5 133 men
and women between 30 and 69 years, with no signs of
coronary disease at start, were followed for 26 years.
The flavonoid intake was estimated on the basis of
dietary reports at the start of the study, and the
flavonoid values from the Dutch food item analysis.
The intake was far below the Dutch: only 3.4 mglday as
a median, with a range from 0 to 41.4 mg. 64% of the
flavonoids came from onions and apples. During the
study period, 473 persons died of coronary disease.
There was a significant inverse correlation between
flavonoid intake and both total and coronary mortality
among females, when corrected for age, smoking,
serum cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index.
Among the men, the trend was the same, but significant
only for total mortality.
The latest of the hitherto published epidemiological
studies on dietary flavonoids also comes from Zutphen
(112). In this work, 552 men between 50 and 69 years
of age were followed in a prospective study
investigating the relationship between flavonoid intake
and stroke.
After correction for confounders (including antioxidant
vitamins) it was found that the quartile with the highest
flavonoid intake (more than 28.6 mg/day) had
significantly fewer cases of stroke than the quartile with
the lowest flavonoid intake (less than 18.3 mg/d) (RR
0.27; 95% confidence interval 0.1 1-0.70; P for trend


0.004). Tea, being the main source of flavonoids in the
investigation, gave similar results, while the reduction
in stroke associated with increased intake of p-carotene
and vitamin C was not significant.
In fact, vitamin E seemed to have a positive correlation
with the total amount of strokes, but this correlation
was not statistically significant.
Evaluation of dietary flavonoids is problematical
1. Hitherto, it has been assumed that most flavonoids
are broken down, to a larger or smaller degree, by
intestinal bacteria, or that they undergo major structural
changes in the gastrointestinal tract. Possibly,
completely different metabolites are present in the body
after absorption than those ingested. Thus, nutritional
consequences of the flavonoids are not necessarily a
result of the flavonoids in themselves, but of enteral or
post absorptive interactions and degradation products.
For this reason, one has to distinguish sharply between
experiments where flavonoids are given orally and by
other routes, and also between in vivo and in vitro
studies. So far we cannot disregard the possibility that
the health impact of flavonoids primarily is a result of
what happens in the intestine, e.g. through their
influence on our immune system or intestinal bacteria.
2. Flavonoids usually co-occur with other active
substances in foods, like vitamin C, and one has to
consider that eventual effects of flavonoids are
dependent on interactions with other dietary
components.
3. The effects of flavonoids seem to be mainly
preventive, and it is much more difficult to study
(unknown) effects of prevention than treatment.
4. Flavonoids seem to have a broad spectrum of effects,
and this may make rational applications more difficult,
even if a broad-spectrum effect can be therapeutically
beneficial. Furthermore, there does not seem to be any
effect for which the flavonoids constitute the only
responsible agent.
5. The metabolism and pharmacokinetics of flavonoids
in humans is not very well understood. Flavonoids can
be metabolized and degraded by the intestinal
microflora, but they can also be metabolized hepatically
and even enter the enterohepatical circuit. In flavonoid
research, high priority is given to finding out how and
to what degree flavonoids are absorbed in humans (22),
and studies on this theme are presently performed by
several research groups, e.g. (127,128).

Some results concerning the biological activity of
flavonoid metabolites have recently been published
(45,113), but a lot still remains to be done in this field.
6. A standard method of approach to assess the function
of dietary components has been to compose diets
without the substance to be studied, follow an eventual
modulation of metabolic processes, and then follow
these processes when the substance is reintroduced
(depletion/repletion studies). It is virtually impossible
to compose a diet free of flavonoids but still adequate
when it comes to regular nutrients. At the same time,
such a diet has to be acceptable to the human subjects.
These aspects make human experiments difficult to
design. The emerging results from epidemiological and
clinical studies indicate that these problems may be
overcome, even though results may be difficult to
interpret. The evidence obtained from clinical and
epidemiological studies so far seem to indicate that
flavonoids may, indeed, possess important biological
activity.
Conclusion
Although no flavonoid-specific biological functions
have been demonstrated so far, a growing amount of
evidence indicates that the intake of flavonoids may be
of considerable importance to health. A multitude of
promising in vitro experiments have been carried out,
but relatively few clinical trials or epidemiological
studies. As natural substances with limited
patentability, they have attracted only moderate interest
from the pharmaceutical industry, and this has limited
the total research effort in the field. Recent
epidemiological studies indicate that the flavonoids
should be taken into consideration, and controlled for,
in epidemiological studies of coronary heart disease.
The assessment of the impact of the flavonoids on
human health is difficult because of the high
complexity of the antioxidant system of the body, and
the picture is complicated further by the flavonoids also
having mechanisms of action which are largely
independent of the antioxidant system.
Helle Margrete Meltzer, Ph.D., Nordic School of Nutrition,
School of Medicine, Univ. of Oslo, P.O. Box 1046, Blindern,
N-03 16 Oslo, Norway.
Karl Egil Malterud, Prof.* Dept. of Pharmacognosy,
Institute of Pharmacy, The Univ. of Oslo, PO Box 1068,
Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway.
Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition/Naringsforskning
Vol41:50-57, 1997
http://www.foodandnutritionresearch.net/index.php/fnr/arti
cle/download/1753/1660


Heart Attack Deaths Higher
in Blacks than in Whites
By Genevra Pittman
November 7, 2012
Reuters
Black men and women are more likely to die of a heart
attack or heart failure than whites in the United States,
according to a new study.
Researchers said those disparities could be explained
by black adults' higher rates of smoking, diabetes and
high blood pressure, and the finding that they tend to be
heavier than whites.
The study's lead author said the result is "distressingly
similar" to racial differences seen in data from the
1990s, despite public health efforts to address them.
"The sad fact is, we really don't see an awful lot of
movement in terms of that long-standing disparity. It's
pretty much where we were the last time we looked at
it," Dr. Monika Safford, from the University of
Alabama at Birmingham, told Reuters Health.
Her team's findings are based on close to 25,000
middle-aged and older adults who had blood and urine
tests and a general health check in 2003 through 2007.
At that point, none of them had heart disease.
Over the next four-plus years, 659 people in the study
developed any kind of heart disease, including heart
attacks and heart failure. About one-third of those
"events" were fatal.
Every year during the study, 4 in 1,000 black men died
from heart disease, on average, compared to 1.9 of
1,000 white men, the researchers found. Among
women, 2 in 1,000 blacks died of heart disease each
year, compared to 1 in 1,000 whites.
Safford and her colleagues found the extra deaths in
blacks could be explained by their higher heart risks to
begin with. For example, close to one in three black
men and women had diabetes at the study's onset,
versus one in six white participants. "There are no
surprises here," Safford said.
She said genetics may put black adults at higher risk for
uncontrolled high blood pressure. When it comes to
high cholesterol, fewer of them are on statins. And
blacks may not be accessing quit-smoking programs -
or other preventive care - as often as whites.
"The question is, did they have problems before (dying
of heart disease) that weren't picked up? And maybe it's
because they're not getting the same quality
healthcare," said Dr. Carl "Chip" Lavie, from the John
Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans,
who wasn't involved in the new research.
"The obvious implications are, we need to do a better
job in African Americans of getting their risk factors
treated, and probably getting them to recognize
symptoms of cardiovascular disease."
More ethnic disparities
Another report published alongside Safford's found
heart-disease differences aren't limited to blacks and
whites: among Latinos in the United States, cardiac
risks were common but varied widely.
Of more than 15,000 Cubans, Dominicans, Mexicans,
Puerto Ricans, and Central and South Americans living
in four U.S. cities, researchers found 80 percent of men
and 71 percent of women had at least one "risk factor"
for heart disease. Those included diabetes, high
cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking and obesity.
Heart disease and related risks were more common
among people who'd lived in the U.S. for longer, or
were second- or third-generation immigrants.
Risks also varied by study participants' country of
origin. Obesity and smoking, in particular, were most
common among Puerto Ricans, Dr. Martha Daviglus
from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her
colleagues reported in the Journal of the American
Medical Association.
She said some groups of Latinos, such as Puerto
Ricans, appear to have more heart-related problems
than white and black Americans, while others, like
South Americans, tend to have fewer.
"They can't all just be considered one generic
population," said Dr. Patrick O'Malley, an internist at
the Uniformed Services University of the Health
Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland who didn't participate
in the new studies.
"What we knew until now was based on a group of
Hispanics, mainly Mexican-Americans, and as you can
see, risk factors vary among all of the other
Hispanic/Latino groups," Daviglus told Reuters Health.
That's because people from different countries eat and
exercise in different ways, have different degrees of
cultural acceptance when it comes to smoking, and
adapt to living in the U.S. differently, she said.
Addressing disparities
Across the board, the average 45-year-old man has a 60


Continued from page 67 -
percent chance of having a stroke, heart attack or heart
disease sometime in his life, according to another
analysis of multiple long-term studies. A 45-year-old
woman has a 56 percent risk.
Even middle-aged adults who are non-smokers, normal
weight and have no other heart risks have a more than
30 percent chance of eventually developing heart
disease, a team led by Dr. John Wilkins of
Northwestern University in Chicago concluded.
Safford and Daviglus both emphasized the importance
of targeting health and education programs to people in
communities that need them, whatever their race or
ethnicity.
"We need to educate these communities, we need to
provide them means to improve their lifestyle,"
according to Daviglus - such as with free quit-smoking
programs and exercise classes.
"The good news is that we know what the fixes are -
now we just have to buckle down and do them,"
Safford said.
O'Malley told Reuters Health that although doctors
should be more aware of higher risks for blacks and
some Latinos - and possibly treat those patients more
aggressively - issues such as economic and educational
disparities will have to be addressed to create
significant changes in health trends.
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/06/14975601-
heart-attack-deaths-higher-in-blacks-than-in-whites?lite

Nutritional Supplements
That Lower Your Blood
Pressure without Drugs
Green coffee bean extract the
antioxidant for hypertension
Coffee is made by roasting green coffee beans. The
extract from the unroasted bean, referred to as green
coffee bean extract, contains potent medicinal
compounds called chlorogenic acids. Scientific studies
have demonstrated that these compounds can reduce
high blood pressure.
Dont worry about the caffeine: green coffee bean
extracts contain only about 10% caffeine by weight, a
high daily dose contains no more than about 20% of the
caffeine content of a strong cup of coffee.

How does green coffee bean extract work?
Chlorogenic acids are phenolic compounds contained
in vegetables and fruits, but very abundant in green
coffee bean extract. This extract is believed to reduce
hypertension because it reduces oxidative stress and
improves nitric oxide (NO) levels.
Nitric oxide penetrates the membranes of almost all the
cells in your body and helps regulate many cellular
functions. In blood vessels, NO is vital because it
regulates the tone of the endothelial cellsthe cells
that line the inside of blood vesselsand helps dilate
blood vessels so that blood flow is unrestricted. If the
epithelial cells are impaired, they can cause spasms or
constrictions in the blood vessels, which can then lead
to hypertension.
Free radicals in your blood vessels can also lead to
hypertension. This theory arises from scientists
observations in lab research that hypertension can be
produced experimentally by various oxidative
molecules, such as superoxide (also referred to as ROS,
or reactive oxygen species). Superoxide disables nitric
oxide by forming peroxynitrite, a potent constrictor of
arteries.
2
Consequently, the theory is that antioxidants
such as green coffee bean extract may play a role in
maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.
Scientific studies
Several double blind, placebo-controlled studies have
demonstrated green coffee bean extracts antihyper-
tensive benefits. In a Japanese study 117 men with mild
hypertension took green coffee bean extracts at three
different potencies for one month. After 28 days, the
results showed a significant improvement in blood
pressure as compared to placebo in the groups taking
185 mg as well as the group taking 93 mg of green
coffee bean extract.
Systolic blood pressure (the top number) in the group
taking 93 mg of green coffee bean extract was reduced
by about 4.7 points, and in the group taking 185 mg it
was reduced by about 5.6 points. Diastolic blood
pressure (the bottom number) was reduced by about 3.2
in the group taking 93 mg, and by about 3.9 in the
group taking 185 mg.
There were no adverse effects from taking the extract,
and the researchers concluded that daily use of green
coffee bean extract has blood pressure-lowering effect
in patients with mild hypertension.
3

In another similar Japanese study subjects with mild
hypertension received 140 mg of green coffee bean
extract each day. Blood pressure, pulse rate, body mass
index, routine blood test, hematochemistry, urinalysis


FEATURED ARTICLES
Towards An Africology of Knowledge Production and
African Regeneration - Excerpt
By Dani Wadada Nabudere RIP
Marcus Garvey Pan African Institute/University
The Cradle and the World.
Dr. Louis Leakeys archaeological discoveries in East
Africa dispelled any doubts about the Cradle of
Humanity being located in the Great Rift Valleys of
East Africa. It is here that humanity originates fully as
sapiens sapiens, despite attempts to assert the contrary
by scientists who are ideologically driven by race
theories [Diop, 1981: 25-68]. Even before Leakey made
the historic discoveries, the Greeks had long recognised
the originality of the people in the Nile Valley. Writing
in the first century BC, Diodorus of Sicily had observed
that the Nubian or Ethiopian people whom he visited
seemed to be the first to emerge from the bowels of
the earth and begin to live. He also observed that most
of the practices adopted by the Egyptians were of
Nubian or Ethiopian origin and, especially, the college
of priests, which were almost in all respects identical
in the two nations [Quoted in Obenga, 1995: 73-4].
An outstanding British historian on Africa, Roland
Oliver, with this in mind stated what most scholars
have increasingly come to accept:
It seems that we all belong, ultimately, to
Africa. Almost certainly, the Garden of Eden, in
which our ancestors grew gradually apart from
their near relatives in the animal kingdom, lay in
the highland interior of East Africa, where
equatorial forest belt is broken by mountains and
high savannah parklands running south from
Ethiopia to the Cape. At the heart of this region
lies the Great Rift Valley, its floor strewn with
spectacular lakes, its sides rising steeply to the
high plateaux surmounted by the blue cones of a
thousand volcanic peaks [Oliver, 1991: 1].
Roland Oliver adds that the recent findings of mole-
cular biology had revealed that the planet was not
merely first colonised from Africa: it was also largely
recolonised by the first fully sapient men spreading out,
again from Africa, to the rest of the world, within the
last 25,000 years. He observes that if this new
knowledge were to spread and pondered over by the
next generation of scientists across the whole spectrum
of intellectual disciplines, the outside world will learn
to think of Africa with more respect and that Africans
themselves will face their fellows with a new
confidence [Ibid: 252]. Oliver concludes that should
this hypothesis become established, then a major
revision of the existing literature of prehistory would
become necessary, but the resulting modifications of
generally received opinion should be less far-reaching
than for the other continents [Ibid: 26].
But this respect and confidence as well as the major
revisions of literature on the prehistory of humankind
(but also of the history of the world) will not come on
their own. This effort will require a new crop of
African scholars themselves not just to be proud of the
fact that the Cradle of Humankind was located in the
Great Rift Valley of East Africa, but also to follow this
up by demonstrating themselves as Cheick Anta Diop
and those who have followed him have done: that the
civilisational achievements of Egypt were achieve-
ments of those of the African people and that those
achievements were later to become archetypes that
streamed from the Cradle to the rest of humankind in
the rest of the world. Such new discoveries will reveal
that the achievements of early humankind in the Cradle
were in fact to become the common heritage of the
whole world, showing their universal character.
But what is it that we are talking about here? We are
talking about the need for a mental/psychological
revolution involving the understanding of ourselves
historically and in the present. The records are there for
us to interpret and apply to our situation. The
restatement of the fact that Africa was the Cradle of
Humankind will not of itself mean much unless we can


Continued from page 69 Towards an Africology of
Knowledge Production and African Regeneration
demonstrate that it was from here that the original ideas
that formed human knowledge and wisdom were created
and to highlight those ideas that were crucial to human
existence, but which have been used for purposes of
greed and self-glorification in the modern world. More
importantly, research in this area should lead to the
creation of a new philosophy that can reconcile man
with himself [Diop, 1981: 361].
Carl Gustav Jung, referred to above, was convinced of
the originality of humanity in African when in 1925 he
made his first trip to Africa starting with East Africa, in
the course of his studies. For him, the only way to
understand humanity was to see it from its originality
face to face with men of the other epoch and who
seemed to have put their imprint on Egypt. He was not
impressed by the so-called Asiatic elements in the
Egyptian civilisation nor the attempt to look at Egypt
from the West, from the direction of Europe and Greece
but from the south [Rice, 1990: 254-6]. Among the
archetypes that Jung saw streaming out of Egypt to
the rest of humanity were the divine kingship, the Great
Individual, the festival of renewal, the Gods, the Divine
Animals, the symbolism in early Egypt, the symbolism
of the Tomb, the evolution of the burial customs, the
Temple, the ancient Egyptian psyche and experiences of
the species, the pyramids and the texts in the Temples as
psychoanalytical primers.
Jung noted that the most important achievement of the
Egyptian-Africans was the knowledge they were able to
assemble as they moved from the unconscious to the
conscious. This is description of the emergence of
Homo sapiens sapiens as they moved from the Cradle of
East Africa northwards, eastwards and westwards. This
description is about how the universe was formed as
humankind became conscious and aware of self and
how humankind begun to engage in different kinds of
activities that made them human. In this way, the first
Africans built up their first civilisation in the Nile
Valley and established the first political society that
lasted several millennia.
Some of these achievements, which were later
challenged by the invading forces were restated in the
first African renaissance recorded in the Memphite
Theology by the Pharaoh Shabaka of the Cushite
(Nubian and Ethiopian) dynasties who tried to recapture
Egypts old glory and reassert it. This was done in 716
BC in a document also called the Memphite Manifesto.
In the Manifesto Shabaka, made an attempt to discover
and reinvent the past glory and preserve it. He tried to
remodel Egypt from the past after disruptions of several
centuries by outsiders.
The subject of the text was Memphis, its mythic and
political significance as the location where the
creation emerged from the primal waters and the
seminal locus of pharaoh kingship [Assmann, 1996:
346]. The creator-god, Atum is referred to in the
Manifesto as the Universe and is depicted in the text
as unfolding in the world and at the same time
creating it. In this way, the Egyptian cosmologies
depicted in a combined way both an account of the
birth of the world with a report on the emergence of
consciousness and the idea political rule. The elevation
of Memphis to the royal capital of a reunified Egypt
was, according to Assmann, a feat of cultural
renewal, which provided the impetus for the ensuing
renaissance.
The Memphite text also gives an account of how
knowledge was created from the word and language.
Assmann calls this an anthropological discourse
which begins with how Atum created knowledge
through the seed and hands of Amun and how sub-
gods emerged in pairs referred to in the text. These
creations are also referred to as the teeth and lips,
which are said to have formed the frame for the
tongue that in turn created everything by naming
them:
That the eye sees, the ear hear, and the nose
breathes air is in order to make a report to the
heart.
This it is that makes all knowledge originates.
The tongue, it is that repeats what is thought by
the heart.
Assmann observes that the process of creation is here
conceived in bodily terms, Phallus and hand the
traditional physical symbols of creativity - are
represented as teeth and lips. The genuine creative
organs are heart and tongue. He adds that since the
Egyptians made no distinction between body and
mind/spirit, knowledge and language, originate in the
heart on the basis of the perceptions reported to it by
the eyes and the ears: The knowledge formed in the
heart is communicated by the tongue, but the ear also
hears, which creates a basis for communication in
language-the basis of knowledge creation [Ibid: 352].
The text then relates how all the gods were born, how
divine speech recorded in the hieroglyphs originated
from which it was thought out by the heart and
commanded by the tongue. With this all trades and all
arts were carried out with the action of the arms and the


Continued from page 70 Towards an Africology of
Knowledge Production and African Regeneration
walking of the legs, the movement of all limbs in
accordance with the instructions of those words that
were thought up by the heart and uttered by the tongue
and thereby providing all things. Assmann points out
that this is the most elaborate Egyptian account of
creation by the Word, which differs from the biblical
account in two ways.
The first is the role of the heart that is the planned
conception of creation- an idea absent from the Bible.
The second is the role of script, the hieroglyphs
mentioned on two occasions in the text. He adds that
these two points are closely related: For what the heart
thinks up are not the names of things but their concepts
and their forms. Hieroglyphic script is a rendering of
the forms and relates to the concepts thought up by the
heart and given outward and visible form by
hieroglyphic script [Ibid: 353]. We shall see below how
true this understanding the process of language is to the
African oral literature and how this can help us to clear
the confusion that Plato and Aristotle brought to the
concept logos or the word.
God Ptah is depicted in the text as the artist and
craftsman, who endow things their design, their
immutable forms and which are depicted by the written
signs. Here is introduced another god-Thoth-who now
becomes the god of the tongue, but also of the god of
hieroglyphic script. According to the text, Thoth is able
to transform the thoughts of the heart into spoken and
written language. In this, creation is at the same time an
act of the articulation-conceptually, iconically,
phonetically of the world. The written signs originate at
the same time as the things they stand for and the names
they bear. The totality of all creation is encompassed in
the term all things and all hieroglyphs. The
hieroglyphs are the Forms of the things that constitute
the totality of the real world. Thus Thoth, the god of the
script, does not have to invent words like Plato tried to
do in imitation of the Egyptian philosophy, but to find
what is in the structure of things. He records all the
things that exist: what Ptah created [Ibid: 354].
According to Gadamer, Plato separates the name from
the thing in order to create the Idea for the thing to be
understood on its own. This is because the word was
understood primarily as a name. We see that this was
also the case with the Egyptians, except that for them the
word and the name stood for real entities expressed in
form. For the Greeks, on the other hand, the name did
not represent a true being. This belief in the word (logos)
and doubt about it, constituted the problem that the

Greek Enlightenment saw as the relationship between
the word and thing. Thereby the word changed from
presenting the thing to substituting for it. The name that
is given and can be altered raised doubt about the truth
of the word.
This is how dialectics was also brought in from the
Egyptians by Plato to deal with the problem they had
created for themselves in denying that the word/name
was capable of producing truth. Thought in this case
became dependent on itself and the ideas it produces
were equally independent. Hence it is not the word that
opened the way to truth, but the ideas that could be
created and dialectically related in form. Thus, unlike
the Egyptians, for the Greeks, the word (logos) is a
stream that flows from thought and sounds through the
mouth. Language is peripheral to the process and that is
why at a later stage, the word is represented by a sign to
which meaning is attributed. Gadamer observes:
It must be admitted that every development of
scientific terminology, however, confined its use
may be, constitutes a phase of this process. For
what is a technical term? A world whose
meaning is univocally defined, inasmuch as it
signifies a defined concept. A technical term is
always somewhat artificial insofar as either the
word itself is artificially formed or as is more
frequent-a word already in use has the variety
and breadth of its meanings excised and assigned
only one particular conceptual meaning, in
contrast to the living meaning of the words in
spoken language [Gadamer, 1989: 414-15].
For the Egyptians, the sign represented by hieroglyphs
are, as we saw above, merely forms of the things that
constitute the totality of the real world. The hieroglyphs
represented the real world. Thus we can see that we are
coming to the point where we must see that the
restoration of the original philosophical and cosmo-
logical framework, which the Egyptian-Africans
attached to the world and its power of creation of the
Universe. The word and its resulting in language, and
its attribution to god Thoth as the recorder of the
knowledge created through them becomes essential for
comprehending the world of the African linguistic
world. Here language emerges as the living reality that
is created by the beingness of Africans with meaning
that springs from their culturally and historically
constructed out of their ontological being. What we
have to do is to construct a science of Africology,
which can help us recover this originality of the African
Universe and thought.
http://www.blackherbals.com/Afrikology_and_Renewal.pdf


What your Heart and Brain
are doing When You're in
Love
By Elizabeth Landau
February 12, 2010
Poets, novelists and songwriters have described it in
countless turns of phrase, but at the level of biology, love
is all about chemicals.
Although the physiology of romantic love has not been
extensively studied, scientists can trace the symptoms of
deep attraction to their logical sources.
"Part of the whole attraction process is strongly linked to
physiological arousal as a whole," said Timothy Loving
(his real name), assistant professor of human ecology at
the University of Texas, Austin. "Typically, that's going to
start with things like increased heart rate, sweatiness and
so on,"
When you catch sight of your beloved and your heart
starts racing, that's because of an adrenaline rush, said Dr.
Reginald Ho, a cardiac electrophysiologist and associate
professor of medicine at Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Here's how it works: The brain sends signals to the
adrenal gland, which secretes hormones such as
adrenaline, epinephrine and norepinephrine. They flow
through the blood and cause the heart to beat faster and
stronger, Ho said.
The response is somewhat similar to a fast heartbeat while
running on a treadmill, although exercise has other
benefits, he said.
For people with serious heart problems, love could
actually be dangerous, Ho said. That's because when the
heart rate goes up, the heart uses more oxygen, which can
be risky for an older person with blood vessel blockages
or who has had a prior heart attack. But good medicines
such as beta blockers help curb the adrenaline response,
Ho said.
It is also likely that norepinephrine, a stress hormone that
governs attention and responding actions, makes you feel
weak in the knees, said Helen Fisher, professor at Rutgers
University and author of the book "Why Him? Why Her?
Finding Real Love by Understanding Your Personality
Type."
Fisher's research team did brain imaging of people who
said they were "madly in love" and found activity in the
area of the brain that produces the neurotransmitter
dopamine. Dopamine and norepinephrine are closely
related. "What dopamine does is it gives you that
focused attention, the craving, the euphoria, the energy
and the motivation, in this case the motivation to win
life's greatest prize," she said.
This norepinephrine response has never been precisely
studied in relation to romantic love, but the system
seems to be more activated in people in love, she said.
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-02-
12/health/love.heart.brain_1_heart-rate-stress-hormone-

Scientist Predicts Eugenic
Society in 5 Years: Gene
Tests to Determine Lover's
Compatibility
It seems we may be heading into a new era of eugenics,
and in the future, instead of choosing to settle with
partners we love, we may be choosing them based on
the compatibility of our genes, a leading scientist has
warned.
By Christine Hsu
July 13, 2012
It seems we may be heading into a new era of eugenics,
and in the future, instead of choosing to settle with
partners we love, we may be choosing them based on
the compatibility of our genes, a leading scientist has
warned.
Professor Armand Leroi, of Imperial College London,
predicts that the ever declining cost of DNA testing
means that we may be heading toward a society that is
based on genetic superiority.
Leroi told the Euroscience Open Forum 2012, in
Dublin, that he expects that in five to 10 years, it will
become standard practice for young people to pay to
access their entire genetic code, according to The
Telegraph.
Naturally, the future generation's desire to have a
healthy baby will then lead them to request access to
view the genetic blueprint of any prospective long-term
partner.
He told researchers attending the major science
conference in Dublin that with the information, future
couples could then use IVF to weed out offspring with
incurable disease.
However, he added that it is unlikely that people will


Continued from page 72 Scientist Predicts Eugenic Society in
5 Years
have the "luxury" of using the technology to design babies
by intellect or eye color, but will instead focus on stopping
genetic diseases.
Speaking in a session titled I human: are new scientific
discoveries challenging our identity as a species, Leroi
said the cost of genetic sequencing has been falling so
quickly that it is going to become very, very accessible,
very, very soon.
As an example, he said that the cost of genetically
sequencing a person has fallen from $1 billion more than a
decade ago to about $4,000.
He noted that in some ways eugenics are already here, with
tens of thousands of babies with Downs syndrome and
other illnesses being aborted every year.
"These processes are very well established in most
European countries," he told the conference on Thursday.
"Many of the ethical problems that people raise when they
speak of neoeugenics are nought once you offer gene
selection or mate selection as a eugenic tool. We are
actually beginning to identify the genes that make a
human.
"The search for an essence is a 2,000-year-old myth. What
we are left with is a sense of capacity and the role of genes
in the way they give us these things," he added. I am
certain genome sequencing will be available on the NHS
(UK health service) within our lifetimes. It is going to be
very, very accessible very, very soon.
Danish neurobiologist Lone Frank predicts that some
countries will embrace the idea. "Some cultures will say,
'Lets get a lot of genomes out on the table and see whos
got the best one'," she said, according to the Daily Mail.
However, she added that others will see it as an attempt to
play God.
Philippa Taylor, of the Christian Medical Fellowship, said
that society must "recognize and resist the eugenic mind
set," the Daily Mail reported. "Our societys increasing
obsession with celebrity status, physical perfection and
high intelligence fuels the view that the lives of people with
disabilities or genetic diseases are somehow less worth
living," Taylor said to the UK-based paper.
"We must recognize and resist the eugenic mind set. Our
priorities should be to develop treatments and supportive
measures for those with genetic disease; not to search them
out and destroy them before birth," she added.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/10844/20120713/eugenics-
prediction-gene-test-compatibility-couples-infants.htm

Could your friends be
making you sick? Toxic
relationships are linked to
cancer, depression and
heart disease

By Daisy Dumas
28 January 2012
It may be wise to keep your friends close and your
enemies not quite so close, after all.
Relationships may be as vital to good health as a
balanced diet and plenty of rest, new research suggests.
Scientists at UCLA's school of medicine have found
that negative social interactions can lead to increased
inflammation, which may in turn cause a host of
illnesses from cancer to heart disease and high blood
pressure.

Call these friends? The stress caused by negative
relationships can lead to inflammatory diseases, say
scientists
Published this week in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences journal, the study gives solid
grounding to the anecdotal evidence that being upbeat
and positive - and surrounding one's self with people
with that do not represent competitive or toxic
relationships - may be one way to avoid getting sick.
Taking a group of 122 healthy young people, the
California-based scientists monitored stressful events
and compared them to the body's production of two
inflammation-causing proteins.
Relying on the age-old method of capturing emotions -
the diary - scientists recorded the group's competitive
and frictional moments and compared them with the
chemicals found in swabs from the inner cheek.


Continued from page 73- Could your friends be making you
sick?
Those who had a negative few days preceding the swab
had a higher proportion of the proteins responsible for
conditions including high blood pressure, risk of heart
disease, cancer and depression, according to Science
News.
A similar peak in the pro-inflammatory proteins also
occurred after participants were subjected to a stress-
inducing numbers quiz and then asked to give a public
speech.
The results - which may bring a whole new light to many
a bad relationship - are thought to be grounded in
evolutionary survival mechanisms.
While the modern link between stress and illness is well-
documented, psychologist Nicholas Rohleder from
Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, told
Science News that inflammation fends off infections that
may once have been the result of fight or flight
encounters.
Without the dangers humans once faced when it came to
getting through each and every day, stress may lead to
unchecked chronic inflammation, he said.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2092748/Toxic-
relationships-linked-cancer-depression-heart-
disease.html#ixzz1kqgYEKk8

Hair Gives a Heads-Up on
Heart Attack Risk
By Stephanie Pappas
02 September 2010
Stress may make you want to pull out your hair, but
those tresses could be the key to measuring just how
much stress you're under, according to a new study.
The study found that the stress hormone cortisol can be
measured in hair, providing the first long-term record of
chronic stress that doesn't rely on a person's memories.
High levels of cortisol in hair were associated with heart
attacks, the researchers reported online today in the
journal Stress. [Stress and 9 other Destructive Human
Behaviors]
The findings could provide a new way to research
chronic stress, according to the researchers. If the results
can be replicated, the test may eventually be used in the
doctor's office to identify people at high risk for
A record of stress
The hair on your head is dead, but its follicle, or root, is
alive. Substances like cortisol, which get released into
the bloodstream when you're stressed, can seep into the
follicle from the tiny blood vessels in the skin of the
scalp. As the hair grows, traces of cortisol get trapped in
the shaft, providing a way for researchers to measure the
hormone over time. Because hair grows about 0.4 inches
(1 centimeter) per month, most people have many
months' worth of records of cortisol levels sitting on top
of their heads. Previous measures of cortisol in blood or
urine could record only a few hours' or days' worth of the
hormone.
"[Hair] tells me what happened to you in the last 10
months," study researcher Gideon Koren, a professor of
pediatric medicine and toxicology at the University of
Western Ontario, told LiveScience. "I can even see how
things change monthly."
Koren had previously used hair samples to measure drug
toxicity in infants whose mothers used cocaine and
heroin while pregnant. He learned that other colleagues
were using similar methods to detect steroids in the
systems of bodybuilders. If hair could accurately
measure body-boosting steroids, he realized, it might
also hold a record of other hormones, like cortisol.
Previous research had found that the cortisol persists in
the hair for at least six months, and in the case of several
Peruvian mummies, up to 1,500 years.
Hair and heart attacks
To test the idea, Koren and his colleagues took hair
samples from 120 men who checked into the cardiac unit
of the Meir Medical Center in Israel. Half of the men
were diagnosed with heart attacks, while the other half
had other diagnoses like chest pain and infection. Only
men were studied because heart attacks are more
common in men, and because hormonal differences
between men and women could skew the results.
The researchers analyzed the cortisol levels in the 1.2
inches (3 cm) of hair closest to the scalp, representing
about the last three months of the patients' lives.
They found that cortisol levels were significantly higher
in men who had heart attacks compared with men who
had other illnesses. When the researchers split the men
into quartiles based on their cortisol levels, they found
that of the men with the lowest levels, 32 percent had
heart attacks. In the men in the uppermost quartile of
cortisol, that number jumped to 68 percent.
The results held even after controlling for other heart-
attack risk factors like cholesterol levels and body mass
index (a measure of body fatness). Continued on page 75


Continued from page 74 Hair Gives a Heads-Up on Heart
Attack Risk
"It's not the only one, of course, but cortisol is an important
determinant of acute myocardial infarction," Koren said,
using the technical term for heart attack.
Testing the test
The results will need to be replicated with larger numbers
of patients before hair-cortisol testing goes mainstream,
Koren warned. Other research has shown that cortisol
levels in the hair do match cortisol levels in the blood, but
Koren and his colleagues aren't yet sure if their results will
apply to women. They also didn't test whether hair cortisol
levels matched people's subjective feelings of stress.
If the test works, however, it could be a noninvasive way
to measure stress over time. That's important, Koren said,
because people's long-term memories of stress aren't
always reliable.
"It could be another tool for us, if it's possible to do and not
expensive," said Alicja Fishell, a psychiatrist at Women's
College Hospital in Toronto. Fishell, who has collaborated
with Koren before but was not involved in the current
study, said the findings could one day prove useful to
research in her area, reproductive health, because the effect
of chronic stress on pregnant women and fetuses is not
well-understood.
"We need to have a good study that really correlates" the
relationship between stress and later psychiatric problems
in women at different reproductive stages of life, Fishell
said.
http://www.livescience.com/8562-hair-heads-heart-attack-
risk.html

Lab uses Skin Cells to help
Repair Heart Muscle
By Andrei Mihai
May 23, 2012
Another breakthrough in biology and medicine was
reported, as scientists were able, for the first time, to take
skin cells from patients who had suffered heart failure and
make them repair the cardiac muscle.
The technique had been tested only on rats and it seemed
decades could pass until it would become suitable for
humans, but in lack of anything better, doctors applied it,
and it worked out remarkably fine, marking the beginning
of a new era in the quest for replacement cells to treat
tissue affected by disease, Israeli researchers declared.
The research relies on a technique called human-induced
pluripotent stem cells, or hiPSCs, a recently-discovered
source which can be a good replacement for the much
more controversial stem cells technique. Basically what
you do is take cells from the patient and inject new genes
into their nucleus, along with a chemical cocktail.
Basically, these new elements reprogram the cells to
their youthful stage, and teach them to do other things as
well. The major advantage here is that if the body sees
its own cells, it will recognize them as friendly cells and
the immune system will not attack.
The bad thing is that so far, studies have only shown
hiPSCs from younger (under 60 years) and healthy
people who are able to adapt to this new situation and
transform their cells. So far, this doesnt seem to work
out for elderly and diseased patients. But scientists are
confident in this technique, and believe it can be used in
many more exciting cases.
What is new and exciting about our research is that we
have shown that its possible to take skin cells from an
elderly patient with advanced heart failure and end up
with his own beating cells in a laboratory dish that are
healthy and young, said Lior Gepstein, a professor of
cardiology at the Technion-Israel Institute of
Technology and Rambam Medical Center in Haifa,
Israel.
Basically, it is the equivalent to the stage of his heart
cells when he was just born.
http://beforeitsnews.com/science-and-technology/2012/05/lab-
uses-skin-cells-to-help-repair-heart-muscle-2169886.html

Heartbeat, not Battery, could
One Day Power Pacemakers
By Deena Beasley
November 5, 2012
Reuters
LOS ANGELES - Your own beating heart may generate
enough electricity to power a heart-regulating
pacemaker, ending the need for expensive surgeries to
replace expiring batteries, according to an early study of
an experimental energy-converting device.
Researchers at the Department of Aerospace Engineering
at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor tested an
energy-harvesting device that runs on piezoelectricity -
the electrical charge generated from motion, according to
the study which was released at the annual American
Heart Association scientific conference on Sunday.
The approach is a promising technological solution for


have all been told it is, suggests a new study published
in the journal Nature Medicine. It turns out that
cholesterol actually helps increase production of an
important component of the nervous system that
facilitates proper nerve cell communication, and
prevents the onset of brain diseases such as Parkinson's
and Alzheimer's disease.
The study focused specifically on patients with a
condition known as Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease
(PMD), in which nerve cells are unable to properly
manufacture protective myelin sheaths. It is these
myelin sheaths, which are composed of lipid fats and
proteins, that allow nerves to communicate and send
appropriate electrical signals that trigger movement and
cognition, and that protect nerves from damage.
Cholesterol, which is commonly dismissed as harmful
and something that people should avoid, actually
contributes to producing and maintaining myelin
sheaths. Without it, as evidenced by the recent studies,
individuals with PMD -- and potentially all individuals
-- are at a higher risk of developing cognitive illness
and brain degradation. And particularly those with
PMD, low-cholesterol diets are almost sure to leave
them exceptionally prone to nerve damage.
"This six-week-long cholesterol treatment delayed the
decline in motor coordination," wrote the scientists in
their report. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute
of Experimental Medicine in Germany fed a group of
mice with PMD a high-cholesterol diet for six weeks,
as well as another group of PMD mice a low-
cholesterol diet. Those on the high-cholesterol diet
stopped experiencing cognitive decline, while the low-
cholesterol mice continued to get worse.
Cholesterol appears to be beneficial for everyone
Though the researchers attributed their findings about
cholesterol specifically and solely to those with PMD,
the implications for all individuals are striking, as the
study further reinforces the idea that cholesterol is a
necessary component of proper brain and nervous
system function in everyone. This unconventional
concept has been confirmed in several earlier studies,
including a comprehensive study published in the
Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons.
(http://www.jpands.org/vol10no3/colpo.pdf)
"Cholesterol acts to interlock 'lipid molecules,' which
stabilize cell membranes," writes Shane Ellison, M.S.,
in his book Health Myths Exposed. "[C]holesterol is a
vital building block for all bodily tissues. Lowering
such a vital molecule is absurdity. To illustrate,
imagine that your house represents your body and the
Continued from page 75 Heartbeat, not Battery, could One
Day Power Pacemakers
pacemakers, because they require only small amounts
of power to operate, said M. Amin Karami, the study's
lead author and a research fellow at the university.
The implanted devices, which send electrical impulses
into the heart to help maintain a normal heartbeat, have to
be replaced every five to seven years when their batteries
run out.
Researchers measured heartbeat-induced vibrations in the
chest. They then used a "shaker" to reproduce the
vibrations in the laboratory and connected it to a
prototype cardiac energy harvester they developed.
Measurements of the prototype's performance, based on a
wide range of simulated heartbeats, showed the energy
harvester generated more than 10 times the power
required by modern pacemakers.
The device is about half the size of batteries now used in
pacemakers and includes a self-powering back-up
capacitor, Karami said. Researchers hope to integrate
their technology into commercial pacemakers.
"What we have proven is that under optimal conditions,
this concept is working," Karami said, adding that the
next step is to integrate the device into a pacemaker.
The researcher, who presented the study here at a
scientific meeting of the American Heart Association,
said the technology might one day also power other
implantable cardiac devices, such as defibrillators.
The study was funded by the National Institute of
Standards and Technology and the National Center for
Advancing Translational Sciences.
About 700,000 people worldwide who have heart rhythm
disturbances get a pacemaker or defibrillator each year.
In the United States, pacemakers sell for about $5,000,
which does not include the cost of surgery, a hospital stay
and additional care.
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/04/14929029-
heartbeat-not-battery-could-one-day-power-pacemakers?lite

High Intake of Cholesterol
shown to actually Repair
Damaged Brains
By Ethan A. Huff
June 22 2012
(NaturalNews) Including high-cholesterol foods as part of
a healthy diet may not be the poor dietary choice we


Continued from page 68 High Intake of Cholesterol shown
to Actually Repair Damaged Brains
nails holding it together cholesterol. Now start pulling
each and every nail out of the house. What happens? The
house turns to a pile of rubble. The same is true for the
human body."
Cholesterol-lowering statins are responsible for
destroying health, causing Alzheimer's
What this all means for statin drugs, which mainstream
medicine has ridiculously dubbed 'miracle drugs,' is that
their cholesterol inhibiting properties can cause serious
health problems down the road. By interfering with the
liver's natural function of producing cholesterol, statin
drugs can actually strip the body of much-needed
cholesterol, and cause serious nervous system and
cognitive damage.
The key to promoting healthy cholesterol levels in the
body is not to take synthetic drugs, but rather to achieve
vibrant health through proper diet and exercise, which
includes a diet rich in healthy saturated fats and, yes,
even cholesterol.
"Saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet are not the
cause of coronary heart disease," says Dr. George V.
Mann, M.D., professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at
Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. "That myth is the
greatest scientific deception of this century, perhaps of
any century."
http://www.naturalnews.com/z036258_cholesterol_brain_repa
ir_Alzheimers.html

Continued from page 3 The Shabaka Texts
////// [They heeded in time] and brought him to [land. He
entered the hidden portals in the glory of the lords of
eternity]. //////. [Thus Osiris came into] the earth at the
royal fortress, to the north of [the land to which he had
come. And his son Horus arose as king of Upper Egypt,
arose as king of Lower Egypt, in the embrace of his
father Osiris and of the gods in front of him and behind
him.]
There was built the royal fortress [at the command of
Geb ///]. Geb speaks to Thoth: ////// Geb speaks to Thoth:
//////. //////. [Geb] speaks to Isis: ////// Isis causes Horus
and Seth to come. Isis speaks to Horus and Seth:
"[Come] /////////."
Isis speaks to Horus and Seth: "Make peace //////."
Isis speaks to Horus and Seth: "Life will be pleasant for
you when //////."
Isis speaks to Horus and Seth: "It is he who dries your

tears //////."
//////. //////.
The Gods who came into being in Ptah:
Ptah-on-the-great-throne //////.
Ptah-Nun, the father who [made] Atum.
Ptah-Naunet, the mother who bore Atum.
Ptah-the-Great is heart and tongue of the Nine [Gods].
[Ptah] ///////// who bore the gods.
[Ptah] ///////// who bore the gods.
[Ptah] /////////.
There took shape in the heart, there took shape on the
tongue the form of Atum. For the very great one is Ptah,
who gave [life] to all the gods and their kas through this
heart and through this tongue, in which Horus had taken
shape as Ptah, in which Thoth had taken shape as Ptah.
Thus heart and tongue rule over all the limbs in
accordance with the teaching that it (the heart, or: he,
Ptah) is in every body and it (the tongue, or: he Ptah) is
in every mouth of all gods, all men, all cattle, all
creeping things, whatever lives, thinking whatever it
(or:he) wishes and commanding whatever it (or:he)
wishes.
His (Ptah's) Ennead is before him as teeth and lips. They
are the semen and the hands of Atum (Atem fertilized
himself by masturbation). For the Ennead of Atum
came into being through his semen and his fingers. But
the Ennead is the teeth and the lips in this mouth which
pronounced the name of everything, from which Shu
and Tefnut came forth, and which gave birth to the
Ennead.
Sight, hearing, breathing - they report to the heart, and it
makes every understanding come forth. As to the
tongue, it repeats what the heart has devised. Thus all
the gods were born and his Ennead was completed. For
every word of the god came about through what the
heart devised and the tongue commanded.
Thus all the faculties were made and all the qualities
determined, they that make all foods and all provisions,
through this word, to him who does what is loved, to
him who does what is hated. Thus life is given to the
peaceful and death is given to the criminal. Thus all
labor, all crafts are made, the action of the hands, the
motion of the legs, the movements of all the limbs,
according to this command which is devised by the heart
and comes forth on the tongue and creates the
performance of every thing.
Thus it is said of Ptah: "He who made all and created the
gods."


Continued from page 77 The Shabaka Texts
And he is Ta-tenen, who gave birth to the gods, and from
whom everything came forth, foods, provisions, divine
offerings, all good things. Thus is recognized and
understood that he is the mightiest of the gods. Thus
Ptah was satisfied after he had made all things and all
divine words.
He gave birth to the gods,
He made the towns,
He established the nomes,
He placed the gods in their shrines,
He settled their offerings,
He established their shrines,
He made their bodies according to their wishes.
Thus the gods entered into their bodies,
Of every wood, every stone, every clay,
Every thing that grows upon him
In which they came to be.
Thus were gathered to him all the gods and their kas,
Content, united with the Lord of the Two Lands.
The Great Throne that gives joy to the heart of the gods
in the House of Ptah is the granary of Ta-tenen, the
mistress of all life, through which the sustenance of the
Two Lands is provided, owing to the fact that Osiris was
drowned in his water. Isis and Nephthys looked out,
beheld him, and attended to him. Horus quickly
commanded Isis and Nephthys to grasp Osiris and
prevent his drowning (i.e., submerging). They heeded in
time and brought him to land. He entered the hidden
portals in the glory of the lords of eternity, in the steps of
him who rises in the horizon, on the ways of Re the
Great Throne. He entered the palace and joined the gods
of Ta-tenen Ptah, lord of years.
Thus Osiris came into the earth at the Royal Fortress, to
the north of the land to which he had come. His son
Horus arose as king of Upper Egypt, arose as king of
Lower Egypt, in the embrace of his father Osiris and of
the gods in front of him and behind him.
M. Lichtheim: Ancient Egyptian Literature, Vol.1, pp.51-
55
http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/texts/shabaka_stone.htm

The Shabaka Stone
The Shabaka Stone is a artifact from the Nubian
Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt, around 700 BC,
incised with an important Egyptian religious text, the
Memphite Theology. It is a stone slab measuring 66 cm
in height and 137 cm in width. The text claims to contain
the surviving content of a worm-ridden, decaying

papyrus that was found as pharaoh Shabaka was
inspecting the temple of Ptah in Memphis, Egypt.
Shabaka was a king of the expansionist Nubian dynasty,
whose capital was in the Sudan. Shabaka, concerned
about the loss of the information on the papyrus, had the
rest of the text written into this stone. However, in later
years, the stone was used as a millstone and so some of
the hieroglyphics were damaged. Nevertheless, it has
been a fruitful source of insight into the culture and
religious doctrines of the ancient Egyptians.
The Shabaka Stone is also noteworthy in that it places
Ptah as the center of existence and as the creator god. It
is the principal surviving source of these traditions about
Ptah.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabaka_Stone

Garlic
What is it?
Garlic is an herb. It is best known as a flavoring for
food. But over the years, garlic has been used as a
medicine to prevent or treat a wide range of diseases and
conditions. The fresh clove or supplements made from
the clove are used for medicine.
Garlic is used for many conditions related to the heart
and blood system. These conditions include high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, heart
attack, and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).
Some of these uses are supported by science. Garlic
actually may be effective in slowing the development of
atherosclerosis and seems to be able to modestly reduce
blood pressure.
Some people use garlic to prevent colon cancer, rectal
cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer,
and lung cancer. It is also used to treat prostate cancer
and bladder cancer.
Garlic has been tried for treating an enlarged prostate
(benign prostatic hyperplasia; BPH), diabetes,
osteoarthritis, hayfever (allergic rhinitis), travelers


Continued from page 78 Garlic
diarrhea, high blood pressure late in pregnancy (pre-
eclampsia), cold and flu. It is also used for building the
immune system, preventing tick bites, and preventing and
treating bacterial and fungal infections.
Other uses include treatment of fever, coughs, headache,
stomach ache, sinus congestion, gout, rheumatism,
hemorrhoids, asthma, bronchitis, shortness of breath, low
blood pressure, low blood sugar, high blood sugar, and
snakebites. It is also used for fighting stress and fatigue,
and maintaining healthy liver function.
Some people apply garlic oil to their skin to treat fungal
infections, warts, and corns. There is some evidence
supporting the topical use of garlic for fungal infections
like ringworm, jock itch, and athletes foot; but the
effectiveness of garlic against warts and corns is still
uncertain.
There is a lot of variation among garlic products sold for
medicinal purposes. The amount of allicin, the active
ingredient and the source of garlics distinctive odor,
depends on the method of preparation. Allicin is unstable,
and changes into a different chemical rather quickly.
Some manufacturers take advantage of this by aging
garlic to make it odorless. Unfortunately, this also reduces
the amount of allicin and compromises the effectiveness
of the product. Some odorless garlic preparations and
products may contain very little, if any, allicin. Methods
that involve crushing the fresh clove release more allicin.
Some products have a coating (enteric coating) to protect
them against attack by stomach acids.
While garlic is a common flavoring in food, some
scientists have suggested that it might have a role as a
food additive to prevent food poisoning. There is some
evidence that fresh garlic, but not aged garlic, can kill
certain bacteria such as E. coli, antibiotic-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enteritidis in the
laboratory.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/300.html

Historical Perspective on the
Use of Garlic - Excerpts
By Richard S. Rivlin
Abstract
The objective of this review is to examine briefly the
medical uses of garlic throughout the ages and the role
that it was considered to play in prevention and treatment
of disease. Interest in the potential benefits of garlic has
origins in antiquity and is one of the earliest documented
examples of plants employed for treatment of disease
and maintenance of health. Garlic was in use at the
beginning of recorded history and was found in
Egyptian pyramids and ancient Greek temples. There are
Biblical references to garlic. Ancient medical texts from
Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and India each prescribed
medical applications for garlic. In many cultures, garlic
was administered to provide strength and increase work
capacity for laborers. Hippocrates, the revered
physician, prescribed garlic for a variety of conditions.
Garlic was given to the original Olympic athletes in
Greece, as perhaps one of the earliest performance
enhancing agents. It is of interest that cultures that
developed without contact with one another came to
similar conclusions about the efficacy of garlic. Modern
science is tending to confirm many of the beliefs of
ancient cultures regarding garlic, defining mechanisms
of action and exploring garlics potential for disease
prevention and treatment.
Interest in the potential benefits of garlic has origins in
antiquity and is one of the earliest documented example
of plants used for maintenance of health and treatment
of disease. In this review, we consider briefly the
highlights of garlic usage throughout the ages. It is
fascinating to observe how ancient cultures developing
in isolation from one another came to many of the same
conclusions about garlics action and efficacy.
Ancient Egypt.
The earliest known references indicate that garlic
formed part of the daily diet of many Egyptians. It was
fed particularly to the working class involved in heavy
labor, as in the building of the pyramids. Indeed, a
recurring theme throughout early history is that garlic
was given to the laboring classes, presumably to
maintain and increase their strength, thereby enabling
them to work harder and be more productive.
Whether garlic was also consumed with the same
diligence by the upper classes is less certain. It is of
interest in this connection that when King
Tutankhamens tomb, which dates from 1500 BC, was
excavated in 1922, cloves of garlic were clearly
identified (Green and Polydoris 1993, Kahn 1996).
What purpose did the garlic serve in the tomb? Did it
have religious significance? Was it a reminder of daily
life of Egypt, or was it left by a careless workman
during a lunch break? We do not know the answers to
these questions, but the presence of garlic in the tomb is
strong evidence that the vegetable was in use at the time.
The authoritative medical text of the era was the Codex
Ebers, which consisted of a number of volumes. Several


particularly uterine.
As in the cultures discussed above, garlic appears to
have been consumed primarily by the lower classes. It
appears not to have been a favorite food item among the
ruling classes and its presence in religious temples was
not permitted, a proscription also found in certain Asian
cultures.
Ancient Rome.
As in Greece, the Romans perceived garlic as an aid to
strength and endurance; it was fed to both soldiers and
sailors and was part of a ships manifest when it set out
to sea. With the emergence of Rome as a leading power,
Greek medicine and its traditions gradually were
transferred to Rome. The leading medical authority was
the Greek, Dioscorides, who served as the chief
physician for Neros army. He was the author of a five-
volume treatise that recommended garlic because it
cleans the arteries. It should be noted that the
circulation of the blood was not discovered until
hundreds of years later, and contemporary beliefs held
that arteries transported air throughout the body,
whereas veins were known to transport blood. Clearly,
the concept that cardiovascular status may be improved
by garlic, presently a subject of active research, has
origins in antiquity. Garlic was also recommended for
disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, for treatment of
animal bites and for alleviation of joint disease and
seizures.
Medicine in Rome was greatly influenced by the
writings of Pliny the Elder, a Greek physician who
wrote the five-volume Historica Naturalis. Twenty-
three uses for garlic were listed for a variety of
disorders. Among these was that garlic was believed to
confer significant protection against toxins and
infections, a finding corroborated by contemporary
investigations of the effects of garlic upon activities of
P
450
-2E1 and other hepatic degradative diseases.
Ancient China and Japan.
The use of garlic as a food and as a medicinal agent has
ancient origins in Asia. The best estimate is that by or
before 2000 BC, garlic was in wide use in China and
formed part of the daily diet, particularly when
consumed together with raw meat (. Records dating
from that era suggest that garlic was also used as a food
preservative.
In ancient Chinese medicine, garlic was prescribed to
aid respiration and digestion, most importantly diarrhea
and worm infestation.. As a spicy food, its regular
consumption was recommended but in limited
quantities. Evidence also suggests that garlic was
Continued from page 79 Historical Perspective on the Use
of Garlic
of the treatments authorized the use of garlic. The Codex
Ebers is one of the earliest sources indicating
prescription of garlic for the treatment of abnormal
growths. It is probable that these growths represented
malignancies of one kind or another. Abscesses would
also have fit into this category. The Codex also
prescribed garlic for circulatory ailments, general
malaise and infestations with insects and parasites.
Biblical.
According to the Bible, the Jewish slaves in Egypt were
fed garlic and other allium vegetables, apparently to give
them strength and increase their productivity, as it was
believed to do for the indigenous Egyptian citizens. The
Jewish people must have developed some fondness for
garlic, because when they left from Egypt with Moses, it
is written that they missed the fish, the cucumbers, and
the melons, and the leeks, and the onions and the garlic
(Num. 11:5). It is unlikely that garlic had religious
significance for the Jews, although this possibility
cannot be excluded. The Talmud, a Jewish religious text
dating from the 2nd century AD, prescribes patterns of
behavior, including the consumption of garlic for the
treatment of infection with parasites and other disorders.
Although in contemporary life one does not tend to
ascribe romantic properties to garlic, its use was
recommended by the Talmud to promote relations
among married couples, perhaps as an aid to procreation.
Ancient Greece.
Excavations of ancient Greek temples have unearthed
garlic, and the palace of Knossos in Crete, dating to
14001800 BC, contained well-preserved garlic when
it was excavated. As with the Egyptians, garlic was
associated with strength and work capacity. Garlic
formed an important part of the military diet, particularly
when soldiers were off to battle.
There is evidence that during the earliest Olympics,
which originated in Greece, garlic was fed to the athletes
before they competed conceivably functioning as one of
the first of the so-called performance enhancing agents
used in competitive athletics. If so, one wonders whether
there were prescribed doses, clinical trials and limits
placed on the amounts consumed. One imagines that
there must have been someone in authority supervising
the activities of the athletes as they prepared themselves
for the sports competition.
Hippocrates, widely regarded as the father of Medicine,
made garlic a part of his therapeutic armamentarium,
advocating its use for pulmonary complaints, as a
cleansing or purgative agent, and for abdominal growths,


Continued from page 80 Historic Perspective on the Use of
Garlic
utilized to treat sadness or depression as well. Chinese
medicine has historically been associated with the use of
combinations of herbs to form a healing tonic, rather
than the administration of single agents. Allium was
evidently frequently used in combination therapy.
Fatigue, headache and insomnia were often treated with
garlic. There are also indications that garlic was used to
treat and improve male potency). It is believed that
garlic was introduced in Japan later than in China,
probably 2000 years ago.
Ancient India.
Garlic has been associated with the healing process in
India from the time of the first available written records.
Three ancient medical traditions, i.e., Tibbi, Unani and
Auryvedic, made extensive use of garlic as a central part
of the healing efficacy of plants. The leading surviving
medical text, Charaka-Samhita, recommends garlic for
the treatment of heart disease and arthritis 2000 years
ago as listed in.
A later manuscript, dating to 300 AD, advanced the
use of garlic for infections, infestations and worms,
weakness and fatigue, and a variety of digestive
disturbances. This text, nearly as old as the Charaka-
Samhita, is known as the Bower manuscript because,
after being found in an ancient tomb, it was purchased
by a British Army officer, Hamilton Bower, late in the
19th century, who then made it available to scholars.
Garlic was also observed to have a diuretic effect. It is
possible that the mobilization of fluid from the
extravascular space may have been due to improved
cardiovascular function resulting from garlic treatment.
It is now well recognized that garlic, appropriately used,
will reduce blood pressure, improve elevated serum
cholesterol, decrease platelet aggregation (Steiner and
Lin 1999) and protect vascular endothelial cells from
damage by LDL); all of these effects are of potential
cardiac benefit.
Some religious sects did not permit the consumption of
garlic or onions, rather as the Greeks and Romans
proscribed garlic in the temples. Garlic either was not
permitted or fancied by the upper Brahmin classes,
whereas in other castes, it was applied externally to help
repair cuts, bruises and infections, and it comprised one
of a number of perceived aphrodisiacs available from
natural plant sources.
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/131/3/951S.full

Study finds Heart Chelation
Therapy Effective but Raises
Questions
By Elizabeth Cohen and John Bonifield, CNN
November 5, 2012

(CNN) -- In results that are stunning cardiologists, a
new study shows a "fringe" alternative treatment for
heart disease was found to be very effective at
preventing heart problems -- but the report is so
controversial even its lead author is questioning the
results.
The patients in the study had had heart attacks, and were
assigned to receive either a placebo or a series of
intravenous drug infusions called chelation therapy, an
unorthodox treatment that has long been looked down
upon by cardiologists.
In the report -- the first large, long-term trial of chelation
for heart patients -- the therapy reduced the risk of heart
attacks, deaths, strokes and other cardiovascular
problems by 18%.
"If this were true, it would be significant. It would put
this therapy in the same ballpark as high blood pressure
drugs, or drugs used to lower cholesterol," said Dr.
Steven Nissen, chair of the department of cardiovascular
medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, who doubts the results
of the study.
A doctor with the American Heart Association warned
that the results "should not be interpreted as an
indication to adopt chelation therapy into clinical
practice. (The study) raises more questions that must be
answered before we're ready to act on the observations
reported today," said Dr. Elliott Antman, professor of
medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Even the lead author of the study tempered his
enthusiasm about the results by warning that they might
not be valid.
"The most exciting part of this study is that there may be
an unexpected signal of benefit," Dr. Gervasio Lamas,


Continued from page 81 Study finds Heart Chelation
Therapy Effective but Raises Questions
chief of Columbia University Division of Cardiology at
Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida,
said in a press release put out by the American Heart
Association. "We need to understand whether the signal
is true, or whether it occurred by chance."
Safety concerns
Doctors who practice chelation welcomed the new study
results, which were announced at the American Heart
Association's annual meeting in Los Angeles.
These doctors believe chelation can help remove heavy
metals from the body. Chelation is approved by the Food
and Drug Administration for the treatment of lead
poisoning, but doctors are free to use it for other
purposes.
"I'll be pushing this data to my patients, and I'll be
reaching out to local cardiologists, because chelation
should be a part of the regular regimen for heart patients,
like taking an aspirin or a statin," said Dr. Kirti Kalidas,
who charges his heart patients in Orlando, Florida,
around $3,000 for a full round of chelation treatments.
This enthusiasm is exactly what frightens many doctors.
Chelation is already popular -- more than 100,000 people
said they'd used it in the past 12 months, according to a
2007 report from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention -- and they fear the new study results will
encourage more people to use it.
In 2006, the CDC reported that two children and one
adult had died after receiving chelation. They all
developed dangerously low calcium levels, which can
cause the heart to stop beating.
In this new study, one patient receiving the therapy died
and another had a "severe adverse event." Both events
were "possibly or definitely related to study therapy,"
according to the study author's slide presentation. A
patient who received a placebo solution also died, and
another had an adverse event.
It wasn't clear from the presentation exactly how the
patients were harmed, and Lamas, the lead study author,
declined to answer questions about the study until the
research is published in a medical journal.
Some doctors worry patients will hear only the positive
results of the study and not the possible dangers, and
would opt for it over proven treatments such as bypass
surgery.
"I'm fearful that patients will hear the sales pitch for this
treatment and, not being well-versed in medicine, will
succumb to the seduction of this therapy," said Nissen,
adding that chelation might sound more appealing than
an invasive procedure like bypass surgery.
Dr. Kimball Atwood agrees. In an article about the
chelation trial, Atwood and his colleagues labeled the
$30 million study funded at taxpayer expense by the
federal National Institutes of Health "unethical,
dangerous, pointless, and wasteful" and called for it to
be abandoned.
"These new study results will encourage chelationists,
and state medical boards will be loathe to step in
because the chelationists have this study on their side,"
said Atwood, a clinical assistant professor of
anesthesiology at Tufts Medical Center.
"Every now and then somebody will get killed," he
added.
Kalidas, the doctor who practices chelation, disagreed,
saying this study would help -- not hurt -- patients.
"Chelation has been lifesaving for hundreds of my
patients," he said.
Dangerously low calcium levels
According to the Mayo Clinic, some doctors think
chelation helps heart patients because the medication
being infused into patients binds to calcium in their
clogged arteries, sweeping it away.
But "sweeping" calcium away is a double-edged sword.
While it might help unclog coronary arteries, it might
also lead to deadly low calcium levels in the blood, as
happened to the three people whose deaths were
described in the CDC report.
That's one reason why the National Institutes of Health
required that the infusions be done at a slow rate -- over
a period of three hours or more -- so problems like low
calcium levels could be caught easily.
In a series of letters to the study's authors, the
Department of Health and Human Service's Office for
Human Research Protection cited several concerns about
the study, including that the researchers hadn't followed
the rules about doing the infusions at a slow rate.
In one letter, the government overseers expressed
concern that infusions were performed in "shorter than
recommended" times in 440 instances, involving 251
subjects. The study was stopped from September 2008
until June 2009 to respond to the government's concerns.
A question of significance
In addition to possible safety problems, there are
concerns that the study was poorly done and doesn't
actually show that chelation works.


Continued from page 82 Study finds Heart Chelation
Therapy Effective but Raises Questions
In the study, researchers divided the patients into two
groups. One group of 839 patients received 40 infusions
of a chemical drug solution called disodium EDTA.
Another group of 869 patients received infusions with a
placebo solution of salt and sugar water. Neither the
patients nor the doctors knew who was receiving
which treatment. Among the patients receiving chela-
tion, 26% went on to have a cardiovascular event, such
as death, heart attack or stroke. Among the placebo
group, 30% went on to have a cardiovascular event.
According to the authors' analysis, this four-percentage-
point difference was barely statistically significant,
leading Lamas to note that the difference may have been
by chance, not because chelation actually worked.
Further watering down the report is the fact that a
relatively large number of patients -- 17% -- dropped out
of the study.
Experts say patients usually drop out of studies when
things aren't going well -- when they're having bad side
effects, for example, or when the therapy isn't working.
But since they dropped out, their results can't be
included in the study.
"This study was so badly done and the results are so
marginal from a statistical perspective that this therapy
can't be recommended," said Nissen, the Cleveland
Clinic cardiologist.
"Making a treatment decision about a life-threatening
disease based on poor-quality scientific data can be
dangerous," he added. "History has taught us that when
this happens, considerable harm can come to patients."
The future of chelation
Kalidas, the chelation practitioner in Florida, said he
hopes these new study results will help persuade
insurance companies to start paying for chelation.
But insurance companies usually only pay for treatments
that are FDA approved -- and there's little chance the
FDA would approve chelation for heart disease based on
this study, experts say.
"This would never pass muster at the FDA," said Nissen,
the former chairman of the FDA advisory panel that
examines applications to put new heart drugs on the
market.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/04/health/chelation-heart-
study/index.html

Continued on page 68 Nutritional Supplements
That Lower Your Blood Pressure without Drugs
and subjective symptoms were recorded throughout the
study. In the green coffee bean extract group, but not the
placebo group, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic)
decreased significantly during the study.
There was no difference in body mass index and pulse
rate between groups, nor were there any apparent side
effects.
A study of the effect of green coffee bean extract on
hypertensive laboratory animals found that a single dose
reduced blood pressure, reduced oxidative stress and
improved nitric oxide levels. The animals were fed diets
containing green coffee bean extract for eight weeks,
and when compared to the placebo group, showed a
reduction in blood pressure. The researchers concluded
that dietary chlorogenic acid (from green coffee bean
extract) reduces oxidative stress and improves nitric
oxide levels by inhibiting excessive production of free
radicals in arteries, which ultimately results in
hypertension.
Rosemary extractprotects your brain and
blood flow with antiplatelet activity
Rosemary has been used for thousands of years as a
savory spice, food preservative, and in cosmetics and
hair products. It has also been used commercially as an
antimicrobial food preservative for the past several
decades. There is not much direct scientific evidence to
show that rosemary lowers blood pressure but a lot
showing other, often related, health effects.
We know for certain that it has a lot to offer as a
nutritional supplement, especially in the prevention of
some types of cancer, allergies and the progression of
Alzheimers disease. Plus rosemary extract is used
widely as a folk remedy in Morocco for hypertension
and diabetes. Therefore we recommend it in a
comprehensive natural approach to high blood pressure.
How does rosemary extract work?
Rosemary extract offers a number of health
benefits by:
Preventing blood platelets from sticking
together
Inhibiting the oxidation of LDL (bad
cholesterol)
Inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme
Providing powerful antioxidant protection


Continued from page 83 Nutritional Supplements That
Lower Your Blood Pressure without Drugs
Protecting brain cells from the normal effects of
aging
Possibly slowing down the progression of
Alzheimers disease
Inhibiting growth of cancer cells
Helping reduce allergy symptoms, especially to
dust mites
Increasing potency of vitamin E
Scientific studies
A recent study at the College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk
National University, Cheongju, Korea, investigated the
antiplatelet activity of rosemary extract on laboratory
animals and found that it has the potential for being
developed as a remedy for preventing blood platelets
from sticking together.

It has also been shown to inhibit the oxidation of LDL
(bad cholesterol).
Another study at the University of Massachusetts,
Amherst, found that rosemary extract has the highest rate
of inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) when
compared to lemon balm and oregano.
http://www.smart-publications.com/articles/nutritional-
supplements-that-lower-your-blood-pressure-without-drugs/

Tuberculosis is 500,000-
Years-Old
By Mohit Joshi
07 December 2007
Washington: Researchers from the University of Texas at
Austin have found that Tuberculosis is 500,000-years-old.
They have found the most ancient evidence of the disease
in a 500,000-year-old human fossil from Turkey.
The finding has suggested support for the theory that
dark-skinned people who migrate northward from low,
tropical latitudes produce less vitamin D, which can
adversely affect the immune system as well as the
skeleton.
Prior to this discovery in western Turkey, which helps
scientists fill a temporal and geographical gap in human
evolution, the oldest evidence of tuberculosis in humans
was found in mummies from Egypt and Peru that date to
several thousand years ago.
Paleontologists spent decades prospecting in Turkey for
remains of Homo erectus, widely believed to be the first
human species to migrate out of Africa. After moving
north, the species had to adapt to increasingly seasonal
climates.
John Kappelman, professor of anthropology at The
University of Texas at Austin, and researchers from the
United States, Turkey and Germany found this specimen
of Homo erectus as a young male based on aspects of
the cranial suture closure, sinus formation and the size
of the ridges of the brow.
They also found a series of small lesions etched into the
bone of the cranium whose shape and location are
characteristic of the Leptomeningitis tuberculosa, a form
of tuberculosis that attacks the meninges of the brain.
After reviewing the medical literature on the disease that
has re-emerged as a global killer, the researchers found
that some groups of people demonstrate a higher than
average rate of infection, including Gujarati Indians who
live in London, and Senegalese conscripts who served
with the French army during World War I.
The research team identified two shared characteristics
in the communities: a path of migration from low,
tropical latitudes to northern temperate regions and
darker skin colour.
People with dark skin produce less vitamin D because
the skin pigment melanin blocks ultraviolet light. And,
when they live in areas with lower ultraviolet radiation
such as Europe, their immune systems can be
compromised.
Kappelman said that it is likely that Homo erectus had
dark skin because it evolved in the tropics. After the
species moved north, it had to adapt to more seasonal
climates. The researchers hypothesize the young males
body produced less vitamin D and this deficiency
weakened his immune system, opening the door to
tuberculosis.
Skin colour represents one of biologys most elegant
adaptations. The production of vitamin D in the skin
serves as one of the bodys first lines of defences against
a whole host of infections and diseases. Vitamin D
deficiencies are implicated in hypertension, multiple
sclerosis, cardiovascular disease and cancer,
Kappelman said
Before antibiotics were invented, doctors typically
treated tuberculosis by sending patients to sanatoria
where they were prescribed plenty of sunshine and fresh
air.


Continued from page 84 Tuberculosis is 500,000-years-
old
No one knew why sunshine was integral to the
treatment, but it worked. Recent research suggests the
flush of ultraviolet radiation jump-started the patients
immune systems by increasing the production of vitamin
D, which helped to cure the disease, Kappelman said.
The findings are published in the Dec. 7 issue of the
American Journal of Physical Anthropology. (ANI)
www.topnews.in/health/tuberculosis-500-000-years-old-2104

WHERE IS YOUR HEART?
The ancient Egyptians said it is the center of the body
and all of the senses and organs, including the brain
answer to it. The heart gives certain sounds when it is
sick. The heartbeat is the first sound we hear. The beat of
the African drum was based on the heartbeat. The heart
carries the emotions, the hopes, the dreams, wisdom, the
memory, the soul and the personality.
We all have heard the best way to take care of the heart
is to drink in moderation, stop smoking, exercise, eat
fresh food, decrease salt and trans fatty acids and
cholesterol in the diet. But what about those other
problems like heavy metals, electrolyte deficiencies,
diuretics, salt, radiation, food-borne bacteria, bacterial
infections, pollution, gmos, pharmaceuticals, etc.? They
are also causing heart disease. So it is not completely all
our fault. Some things we have no control of or do we?
Phytochemicals such as flavonoids have been used since
antiquity. Heart disease in Africa before the colonists
was rare. The types of African root foods, fermented
beverages such as millet and sorghum, spices, fresh
green vegetables all lead to a very healthy lifestyle.
Increasingly, flavonoids are becoming the subject of
medical research. Many drugs available today are either
from plant source or modified from the plant derived
compounds. Flavonoids are among the most ubiquitous
polyphenolic compounds found in nature that show wide
range of biological activity viz. anticancer, antiviral,
antioxidant, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal,
antiallergic, antimicrobial and antiprotozoan etc. This is
course is going to lead to increased flavonoids in the diet
by inducing the genetic modification of plants. Nothing
is sacred here.
Hypertension in Blacks is not a new subject and it is not
just a problem in the West. As Africans adopt Western
culture, high blood pressure is becoming the norm.
However, we can learn to control our hypertension by
controlling our diet. We need to understand that white

salt is like white sugar, all the nutrients have been
bleached out. In addition, all oils are not the same.
Flavonoids like fresh garlic, onions, and spices like
cayenne need to be incorporated more into our diets.
Garlic has truly been around for a while, not only as a
culinary herb but in rituals from birth to death. Garlic
keeps vampires away. Wonder if that has something to
do with the blood/heart?
Sometimes we let our hearts rule our head. But this is
where truth is found. Consciousness is truth. In Kemetic
medicine, the heart represents duality and the four
cardinal points of the universe (earth, air, water and fire).
In the judgment of ones sins, the heart is weighed with a
feather on the scale of Maat. Maat signifies order,
righteousness, harmony, balance and truth. It is through
the heart that God speaks.
Our hearts run on electricity as well. This is where
melanin comes in. The electrical system of your heart is
the power source that makes this possible. Your heartbeat
is triggered by electrical impulses that travel down a
special pathway through your heart. The flow of
electrons that allows blood to carry oxygen and carbon
dioxide throughout the body also depend upon
electrolytic balance. Without oxygen, the body dies.
Phases of the Heart
Heartbroken - suffering from grief or disappointment
To have heart to have courage
A kind heart - a kind/good/generous person
Have one's heart in one's mouth - to be extremely
anxious or fearful
Have one's heart in the right place - to be well
intentioned
To have a heart - is to care deeply
Have a heart! - show some compassion
To have a Heart of a Lion to never give up
People who wear their heart on their sleeve - express
their emotions freely and openly, for all to see.
A heart of gold - pure and sweet.
A heavy heart - sad or depressed
A change of heart A change of mind
Heartless or Cold-Hearted Cold, cruel, without a heart
The Heart is life. The Heart is synonymous with love. To
live is to love and the heart is the center of it all. So we
end this year with a heavy heart and trust that we all have
our hearts in the right place. See you next year.
Blackherbals A Marcus Garvey Pan-African
Universitys Community Site of Knowledge
HAPPY HOLIDAYS


Herbs of the Month
Garlic to Heal your
Hypertension and High Blood
Pressure

Garlic may be useful as an alternative treatment for high
blood pressure, a perennial killer amongst Africans and
African-Americans. This has been widely noted by
alternative health care providers specializing in the health
of Africans and those in the Diaspora.
Garlic has long been known to be good for the heart.
Garlic supplements have previously been shown to lower
cholesterol and reduce high blood pressure in those with
untreated hypertension.
According to studies by American scientists at the
University of Alabama (published in Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences), the key to Garlics
positive effect is allicin, which is broken down into
sulphur compounds so good for the heart and the blood.
These compounds react with red blood cells and produce
hydrogen sulphide which relaxes the blood vessels, and
keeps blood flowing easily.

CAL ENDAR OF EVENTS
SPECIAL EVENT: CLINIC OPENING
PLACE: AFRIKAN TRADITIONAL HERBAL RESEARCH CLINIC
TIME:
Afrikan Traditional Herbal Research Clinic
54 Muwafu Road, P.O. Box 29974
Ntinda, Kampala, Uganda East Africa
Phone: +256 (0) 702 414 530
Email: clinic@blackherbals.com

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ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED Mailing Address
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Mission Statement
Our aim at The African Traditional Herbal
Research Clinic is to propagate and promote the
awareness in Afrikan peoples at home and abroad of
their health, biodiversity, history and cultural
richness. We gather pertinent information on these
issues and disseminate these freely to our people in
Uganda, the rest of the continent, and anywhere in
the Diaspora where Afrikans are located. One of
the main ingredients for increasing poverty, sickness,
exploitation and domination is ignorance of one's
self, and the environment in which we live.
Knowledge is power and the forces that control our
lives don't want to lose control, so they won't stop at
anything to keep certain knowledge from the people.
Therefore, we are expecting a fight and opposition to
our mission. However, we will endeavor to carry
forward this work in grace and perfect ways.
Where there is no God, there is no culture.
Where there is no culture, there is no
indigenous knowledge. Where there is no
indigenous knowledge, there is no history.
Where there is no history, there is no science
or technology. The existing nature is made
by our past. Let us protect and conserve our
indigenous knowledge.

The Heart

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-1- Traditional African Clinic November/December 2012

African Traditional Herbal Research Clinic

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